bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growing Up and Waking Up: A Conversation With Ken Wilber About Leaving Transpersonal to Form Integral Psychology
Authors: MacDonald Douglas A. , Friedman Harris L.
Published: January 2020

Although he formally departed from the transpersonal psychological community in the 1990s, Ken Wilber was, and continues to be, one of the most important and influential theoreticians in this subdiscipline of psychology. Given his indisputable prominence and substantive contributions to transpersonal psychological thought, both Harris L. Friedman and Douglas A. MacDonald met with Wilber in order to learn about his views of the field and to solicit him for suggestions on what might be done to help move transpersonal psychology forward. On November 16, 2018, Wilber, Friedman, and MacDonald met in Denver, Colorado. The 3-hour conversation that ensued was recorded and transcribed. In this article, we provide salient excerpts from this conversation, including some minor edits (in brackets) made to enhance quality of expression. The gist of Wilber’s recommendations, made early in the conversation, is that transpersonal psychology should “disband or, at the very least, come up with a different name.” What follows is a lively dialog between two transpersonal psychologists and one of the subdiscipline’s most renowned early thinkers who now disavows its worth and shares some of the reasons why he left the subdiscipline to pursue “integral” psychology.
A Sea of Troubles? Journey Times and Coastal Shipping Routes in Seventeenth-Century England and Wales
Authors: Dunn Oliver
Published: January 2020

As revealed by John Armstrong, coastal shipping was vital to Britain’s Industrial Revolution: it was a system of mass transport for coal, grain, and myriad other goods that long predated railways and canals. Despite this, we know little about how it functioned. This paper examines some fundamental characteristics, namely ship speeds, times spent in port, and trade patterns, to examine its effectiveness long before Britain’s industrialisation. Local customs records provided data covering thousands of recorded departures and arrivals of coasters. These data are analysed using a geographical information system and panel-data analysis. Methods are described and new insights given. While seacoasts boasted opportunities, observed coasting vessels exhibit severe timing irregularities and clearly operated in very challenging seas where delays and troubles were to be expected.
What’s so special about character?
Authors: Fernandez Mario A. , Martin Shane L.
Published: January 2020

Special Character Areas (SCAs) in Auckland, New Zealand, are areas with distinctive aesthetic, physical and visual qualities. Preservation policies entail controls on the design and appearance of new buildings, and on demolition, additions and alterations to existing buildings. To promote densification of the city, the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP) removed SCA preservation rules in certain areas. This article assesses the trade-off between SCA preservation and housing development. We employ hedonic prices models to about 85,000 sale transactions between 2012 and 2016 and find that in 2012, the SCA price premium was 11.4% whereas the premium on upzoned properties (those with increased development allowances under the AUP) was zero. Over time, the SCA premium decreases, and by 2016 it was down to about 4.3%. At the same time, upzoning premiums increased to about 5% in 2016. These results reveal a demand shift from the protections of SCA towards flexibility on the development options of land.
“Powerful Lessons” in Women’s Sport: ESPN’s Nine for IX Series
Authors: Antunovic Dunja , Linden Andrew D.
Published: January 2020

In 2013, ESPN launched a series of documentaries to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Title IX. The Nine for IX documentaries tell stories of successful women in sport and tackle pertinent gender- and sex-related issues, promising to teach popular audiences about the untold histories of women’s sport. Because of the series’ place in ESPN’s marketing efforts to reach women, we consider the series as ideological work through which women’s sport history is constructed. Drawing on feminist sport scholarship, we argue that the Nine for IX films fall short of their promised socially conscious and educational potential. Instead of interrogating broader webs of power, the series overwhelmingly relies upon individualized, depoliticized, and postfeminist narratives that relegate efforts toward gender equality to the past. The series is, thus, a reflection of ESPN’s larger problems with representations of women’s sport.
‘Giving back and getting on with my life’: Peer mentoring, desistance and recovery of ex-offenders
Authors: Nixon Sarah
Published: January 2020

Peer work and peer mentoring are dynamic social processes that have reciprocal benefits for both mentor and mentee in tackling issues around reoffending and substance misuse. Narratives of peer mentors and desistance were collected from probation peer mentors, Criminal Justice Drugs Team mentors and health trainers, to explore identity transformation and how the criminal justice system supports ex-offenders in desistance. Criminal justice practitioners were also interviewed to explore the importance of relational support networks. Themes that emerged from the research include the transformative potential of peer work and how peer workers can become role models for other offenders. Peer workers are ‘experts by experience’, using personal narratives of desistance to inspire hope in others. Influential criminal justice personnel are key to this process. Peer work can be the start of building a desisting identity, acting as a ‘hook for change’. Peer workers are given spaces within criminal justice organisations to work, which fosters a sense of purpose, belonging, trust and responsibility. Seeing ex-offenders from a strengths-based perspective is integral to supporting ex-offender transition. However, peer workers are inconsistently validated by criminal justice personnel, which can impede their desistance, placing them in a liminal position.
Cyanoacrylate glue embolisation for varicose veins – A novel complication
Authors: Langridge Benjamin J , Onida Sarah , Weir Justin , Moore Hayley , Lane Tristan RA , Davies Alun H
Published: January 2020

Background

Non-thermal non-tumescent methods for varicose vein treatment have rapidly gained popularity in recent years due to clinical efficacy comparable to other endovenous methods, but with a superior safety and tolerability profile. Cyanoacrylate is an adhesive that rapidly polymerises during endovenous treatment to cause rapid occlusion of veins and initiate vein fibrosis.

Method

Cyanoacrylate glue treatment is known to cause complications such as phlebitis, cellulitis and deep vein thrombosis in rare instances. We present the first reported case of cyanoacrylate extravasation with chronic foreign body reaction in a patient nine months after initial treatment.

Results

We discuss the aetiology of this complication, its treatment, patient outcome and its significance to both clinicians and patients.

Conclusion

Cyanoacrylate glue embolisation can, in rare instances, lead to extravasation and chronic foreign body reaction, necessitating surgical intervention. The relative novelty of cyanoacrylate glue embolisation in the treatment of varicose veins requires clinicians to monitor for rare complications during its use in clinical practice. Patients should be aware of the rare risk of glue extravasation and foreign body reaction for fully informed consent prior to treatment.
Passing from the Middle to the New Kingdom: A Senet Board in the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
Authors: Crist Walter
Published: January 2020

Egyptian senet boards follow a very consistent morphology that varies in small but notable ways throughout the 2000-year history of the game. A previously unpublished board, in the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, California, may provide new insight into the evolution of the game in the early New Kingdom. A game table with markings distinctive of the Thutmoside Period, but oriented like Middle Kingdom and Seventeenth Dynasty boards, it is probably a transitional style. It likely dates to the Eighteenth Dynasty before the reign of Hatshepsut, a period to which no other games have previously been securely dated.
Comparison of Field Behavior with Results from Numerical Analysis of a Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Integrated Bridge System Subjected to Thermal Effects
Authors: Taeb Arshia , Ooi Phillip S.K.
Published: January 2020

When subjected to ambient daily temperature fluctuations, a 109.5 ft-long geosynthetic reinforced soil integrated bridge system (GRS-IBS) was observed to undergo cyclic straining of the superstructure. The upper and lower reaches of the superstructure experienced the highest and lowest strain fluctuation, respectively. These non-uniform strains impose not only axial loading of the superstructure but also bending. Pure axial loading in a horizontal superstructure will cause the footings to slide. However, bending in the superstructure will cause the footings to rotate thereby inducing cyclic fluctuations of the vertical pressure beneath the footing and also lateral pressure behind the end walls. Measured vertical footing pressure closest to the stream experienced the greatest daily pressure fluctuation (≈ 2,500–3,000 psf), while that nearest the end wall experienced the least. The toe pressure fluctuations seem rather large. That these large vertical pressure fluctuations are observed in a tropical climate like Hawaii when no other GRS-IBS in temperate regions has reported the same (or perhaps higher fluctuation) is indeed surprising. The larger these pressures are, the greater the likelihood of inducing cyclic-induced deformations of the GRS abutment. A finite element analysis of the same GRS-IBS was performed by applying an equivalent temperature and gradient to the superstructure over the coldest and hottest periods of a day to see if the field measured values of pressures are reasonable and verifiable, which indeed they were. This methodology is novel in the sense that the effects of axial load and bending of the superstructure are simulated using measured strains rather than measured temperatures.
Are Low-Income Consumers Willing to Pay for Fortification of a Commercially Produced Yogurt in Bangladesh
Authors: Agnew Jessica , Henson Spencer , Cao Ying
Published: January 2020

Background:

There is an active debate over the potential for market-based strategies to address micronutrient deficiencies in low- and middle-income countries. However, there are questions over the viability of market-based strategies, reflecting limited evidence on the value that low-income households attach to the nutritional attributes of processed foods.

Objective:

The objective of this article is to investigate the willingness to pay of primary food purchasers in low-income households in rural Bangladesh for Shokti+, a nutritionally fortified yogurt produced and distributed by Grameen Danone Foods Limited.

Methods:

A real choice experiment with economic incentives was conducted with 1000 rural food purchasers sampled from the distribution area of Shokti+ in rural Bangladesh. The choices of respondents revealed attribute nonattendance, favoring the fortification attribute over price.

Results:

Results from a random parameter logit model found that respondents were willing to pay an average of 18 BDT (US$0.22) for fortification and 6 BDT (US$0.073) for brand name. The market price for Shokti+ at the time of the study was 10 BDT (US$0.12). The results from a random effects model suggest the magnitude of willingness to pay for fortification was primarily driven by the nutritional awareness of respondents but offset by household food insecurity.

Conclusions:

The article concludes that, while there is a viable market for fortified yogurt in rural Bangladesh, efforts to promote this product as a strategy to address micronutrient deficiency are best targeted at low-income households with some capacity to pay for low priced commercially produced foods.
Clinical Epidemiology of Alcohol Use Disorders in Military Personnel versus the General Population in Canada: Épidémiologie clinique des troubles liés à la consommation d’alcool chez les militaires par opposition à la population générale du Canada
Authors: Taillieu Tamara L. , Afifi Tracie O. , Zamorski Mark A. , Turner Sarah , Cheung Kristene , Stein Murray B. , Sareen Jitender
Published: January 2020

Objectives:

Research suggests a high prevalence of problematic alcohol use among military personnel relative to civilians. Our primary objectives were to compare the prevalence, correlates, help-seeking behaviors, perceived need for care, and barriers to care for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Canadian general population (CGP).

Methods:

Data were from 2 nationally representative surveys collected by Statistics Canada: (1) the Canadian Community Health Survey on Mental Health collected in 2012 ( N = 25,113; response rate = 68.9%) and (2) the Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey collected in 2013 ( N = 8,161; response rate = 79.8%). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to examine differences in outcomes of interest associated with AUDs in the CAF and CGP.

Results:

The prevalence of lifetime AUDs was significantly higher in the CAF (32.0%) than the CGP (20.3%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI, 1.02 to 1.27]) after adjustment for sociodemographic covariates. In contrast, the past-year prevalence of AUDs was significantly lower among CAF personnel (4.5%) than civilians (3.8%; AOR = 0.78, 95% CI [0.61 to 0.99]) after adjustment for sociodemographic covariates. Child abuse history and comorbid mental disorders were strongly associated with past-year AUDs in both populations. CAF personnel compared to the CGP were more likely to perceive a need for care (AOR = 4.15, 95% CI [2.56 to 6.72]) and engage in help-seeking behaviors (significant AORs ranged from 1.85 to 5.54). CAF personnel and civilians with past-year AUDs reported different barriers to care.

Conclusions:

Findings argue for the value of different approaches to address unmet need for AUD care in the CAF and CGP.
Frame Variation in the News Coverage of the Refugee Crisis: The Romanian Perspective
Authors: Vincze Hanna Orsolya , Meza Radu , Balaban Delia Cristina
Published: January 2020

The 2015 refugee crisis has held the attention of Romanian news media, as one of the most challenging issues for the European Union in the last decade, even though Romania is not situated on the main routes on which refugees arrive. Our research focuses on the variation of issue-specific news frames in time, according to media type, and by the countries covered, also addressing the locally salient issue of religion. Articles from the websites of the top-ranked six Romanian news outlets were analyzed, including three quality papers and three tabloids (N=6,183), from 1 April 2015 to 30 September 2017. Using a computer-assisted, cluster-based frame analysis, we identify six primary, mutually exclusive and six secondary, nonexclusive frames: European crisis, context/victimization, relocation/distribution, international conflict, and social problem, national costs, religious issues, US immigration policy, humanitarian/international. The variations in their salience follow the general European tendency toward securitization. At the same time, the emphasis on the issue as a European crisis indicates a tendency characteristic of Central and Eastern European media coverage. Co-occurrence patterns of frames and specific countries also indicate that the salience of some globally recurrent frames varies by countries covered.
Overpublication as a symptom of audit culture: A comment on Phaf (2020)
Authors: Clegg Joshua W. , Wiggins Bradford J. , Ostenson Joseph A.
Published: January 2020

Phaf suggests that, in order to address overpublication, academics should read more and publish less. Although many academics would like to take this advice, doing so is complicated by the audit culture that marketizes and metricizes everything they do. Working from the evolutionary metaphor introduced by Phaf, we argue that the evolution of science consists not simply in adapting theory to the demands of empirical investigation, but also in adapting scientific traditions and communities to the political and institutional forces that shape them. We point specifically to the generalized metrics (e.g., impact factors) that, in audit environments, arbitrate resources, in the process engineering professional precarity and overdetermining theory building. We argue that hyper-production can be understood as an adaptation to such an audit environment. We briefly discuss some suggestions for approaching the audit through relational accounting practices that disrupt and re-inscribe calculative audits, thus creating opportunities to read more and publish less.
Ocular involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: a paradigm shift based on the experience of a tertiary referral center
Authors: Dias-Santos A , Tavares Ferreira J , Pinheiro S , Cunha J P , Alves M , Papoila A L , Moraes-Fontes M Francisca , Proença R
Published: January 2020

Objective

To evaluate ocular involvement in a cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients of a tertiary referral center and to compare the results with the existing literature.

Methods

Patients underwent a complete ophthalmological evaluation, including visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, fluorescein staining, Schirmer-I test, Goldmann applanation tonometry, fundoscopy, 10-2 automated threshold visual fields, fundus autofluorescence and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography to screen for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) macular toxicity.

Results

A total of 161 patients (16 men and 145 women) were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 47.6 years and the mean disease duration was 11.5 years. Fifty patients (31.1%) had at least one ocular manifestation of SLE. The most frequent manifestation was dry eye syndrome (12.4%), immediately followed by cataracts (11.2%) and HCQ macular toxicity (11.2%). Among patients with HCQ maculopathy, two presented with an atypical spectral-domain optical coherence tomography pattern. Five patients (3.1%) presented with glaucoma, two patients (1.2%) presented with SLE retinopathy while only one presented with lupus choroidopathy (0.6%).

Conclusions

Compared with previous studies, we conclude there has been a significant reduction in disease-related ocular complications, particularly those associated with poor systemic disease control. On the other hand, drug and age-related complications are assuming a prominent role in the ophthalmic care of these patients.
Estimation of causal effects with repeatedly measured outcomes in a Bayesian framework
Authors: Liu Kuan , Saarela Olli , Feldman Brian M , Pullenayegum Eleanor
Published: January 2020

Constructing causal inference methods to handle longitudinal data in observational studies is of high interest. In an observational setting, treatment assignment at each clinical visit follows a decision strategy where the treating clinician selects treatment based on current and past clinical measurements as well as treatment histories. These time-dependent structures, coupled with inherent correlations between and within each visit, add on to the data complexity. Despite recent interest in Bayesian causal methods, only a limited literature has explored approaches to handle longitudinal data and no method handles repeatedly measured outcomes. In this paper, we extended two Bayesian approaches: Bayesian estimation of marginal structural models and two-stage Bayesian propensity score analysis to handle a repeatedly measured outcome. Our proposed methods permit causal estimation of treatment effects at each visit. Time-dependent inverse probability of treatment weights are obtained from the Markov chain Monte Carlo samples of the posterior treatment assignment model for each follow-up visit. We use a simulation study to validate and compare the proposed methods and illustrate our approaches through a study of intravenous immunoglobulin therapy in treating newly diagnosed juvenile dermatomyositis.
Variable selection via penalized generalized estimating equations for a marginal survival model
Authors: Niu Yi , Wang Xiaoguang , Cao Hui , Peng Yingwei
Published: January 2020

Clustered and multivariate survival times, such as times to recurrent events, commonly arise in biomedical and health research, and marginal survival models are often used to model such data. When a large number of predictors are available, variable selection is always an important issue when modeling such data with a survival model. We consider a Cox’s proportional hazards model for a marginal survival model. Under the sparsity assumption, we propose a penalized generalized estimating equation approach to select important variables and to estimate regression coefficients simultaneously in the marginal model. The proposed method explicitly models the correlation structure within clusters or correlated variables by using a prespecified working correlation matrix. The asymptotic properties of the estimators from the penalized generalized estimating equations are established and the number of candidate covariates is allowed to increase in the same order as the number of clusters does. We evaluate the performance of the proposed method through a simulation study and analyze two real datasets for the application.
Tensile evaluation and thermal characteristics of polyvinyl alcohol film with varying oil palm ashes content
Authors: Ooi Zhong Xian , Ewe Chen Yik , Chan Kam Loon , Teoh Yi Peng , Ismail Hanafi
Published: January 2020

Composites consisting of a polymeric matrix and renewable resources have attracted scientific attention due to the idea of sustainable development. The objective of this study was to blend the polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and oil palm ashes (OPA) using solution casting approach. The results revealed that increasing the OPA loading in PVOH film would decrease both tensile strength and elongation at break of the blended films. The morphology of the tensile fractured surface was examined which supported the result obtained from tensile properties. Also, the thermal characteristics of PVOH/OPA films were studied. The glass transition temperature and crystallization temperature were increased when the OPA loading was increased. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the thermal stability of PVOH/OPA film was higher than the unfilled PVOH film.
An interpretative phenomenological analysis of dignity in people with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Žiaková Katarína , Čáp Juraj , Miertová Michaela , Gurková Elena , Kurucová Radka
Published: January 2020

Background:

Dignity is a fundamental concept in healthcare. The symptoms of multiple sclerosis have a negative effect on dignity. Understanding of lived experience of dignity in people with multiple sclerosis is crucial to support dignity in practice.

Research aim:

The aim was to explore the sense of dignity experienced by people with multiple sclerosis.

Research design and participants:

An interpretative phenomenological analysis design was adopted, using data collected through face-to-face interviews with 14 participants.

Ethical considerations:

The study was approved by the faculty Ethical Committee (No. EC 1828/2016).

Findings:

Four interconnected superordinate themes emerged from analysis: Loss of a fully-fledged life: Violating the dignity-of-self; To accept and fight: Promoting the dignity-of-self; Contempt and rudeness: Indignity-in-relation; and Those who know and see, help: Promoting dignity-in-relation. The loss of former fully-fledged life has a dramatic impact on integrity and impaired dignity-of-self. Accepting illness and changed identity impaired by multiple sclerosis was the step that the participants considered to be important for reacquiring the sense of dignity. The participants encountered misunderstandings, prejudices, embarrassment, insensitive remarks, labelling, unwillingness and impersonal treatment as indignities. Acceptance of their condition, needed support, the feeling of being part of a group, sensitivity and the sharing of problems had a positive effect on their dignity.

Discussion:

Continual changes in functional ability threaten an individual’s identity and were experienced as violations of dignity. Based on this, participant’s dignity-of-self was not a moral, but much more existential value. Acceptance of changed identity and fighting spirit were important for restoring their dignity-of-self. The misunderstandings, prejudices and unwillingness had a negative impact on their dignity-in-relation. On the other side, support from others in fighting promoted their dignity-in-relation.

Conclusion:

Dignity is manifested as a complex phenomenon of lived experience of people with multiple sclerosis and also an umbrella concept for providing good quality of person-centred care.
A Cautionary Tale for Psychology and Higher Education in Asia: Following Western Practices of Incentivising Scholarship May Have Negative Outcomes
Authors: Svare Bruce B.
Published: January 2020

Cases of scientific fraud and research misconduct in general have escalated in Western higher education over the last 20 years. These practices include forgery, distortion of facts and plagiarism, the outright faking of research results and thriving black markets for positive peer reviews and ghost-written papers. More recently, the same abuses have found their way into Asian higher education with some high profile and widely covered cases in India, South Korea, China and Japan. Reports of misconduct are now reaching alarming proportions in Asia, and the negative consequences for individuals, institutions, governments and society at large are incalculable. The incentives for academic scientists in Asia are approaching and even surpassing those ordinarily seen in the West. Cash payments for publishing articles in high impact journals can double or even triple yearly salaries in some cases. Combining this environment with the simultaneous pressure to obtain oftentimes scarce funding for research has produced a culture of unethical behaviour worldwide. This article assesses three important issues regarding scientific fraud and research misconduct: distorted incentives for research and overreliance upon metrics, damage to the integrity of higher education and public trust and improving research environments so as to deter unethical behaviour. This is especially crucial for emerging Asian countries, in particular Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), whose scientific infrastructure is less developed, but nonetheless has the potential to become a major player in the development of psychology as well as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) research and training.
“You’d Just Cop Flak From Every Other Dickhead Under the Sun”: Navigating the Tensions of (In)visibility and Hypervisibility in LGBTI Police Liaison Programs in Three Australian States
Authors: Dwyer Angela , Ball Matthew J.
Published: January 2020

This article examines the different ways that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) police liaison officers in three states of Australia conceptualized and problematized the public visibility of LGBTI police liaison services. In a climate where LGBTI police liaison services are a prominent model for building relationships between police and LGBTI people, this article considers, through interview data with LGBTI police liaison officers, these officers’ perceptions of the role that the visibility of these programs played in their success. Specifically, it explores the tensions and difficulties for officers and LGBTI communities resulting from the general invisibility of liaison officers themselves (and, by extension, these programs), as well as the problems that increased visibility of these programs might bring to officers, to LGBTI communities, and to policing work itself. Although enhancing the visibility of liaison services may be an important goal, this research suggests that careful consideration is required regarding how this visibility is produced and maintained, particularly given the concerns that officers reported about the potential risks posed by adopting new forms of visibility, including the risk of hypervisibility. This article questions the conventional view that increased visibility is unproblematic and is the key to the success of such programs.
Gaming Exercise for Rights-Conversion-Type Urban Redevelopment Project in International Cooperation Context
Authors: Kaneda Toshiyuki , Cui Mingji , Sahab Sofia , Sadiq Ahmad Ramin
Published: January 2020

Background. The rights conversion is an emerging approach on international cooperation that aims to solve the urban renewal problems in the 21st century. Previous research centred on the development of a rights-conversion-type urban redevelopment project game (URPG) for rights holders considering a project in Japan. Here, we focus on the application of URPG into Kabul City in Afghanistan, being presented with an opportunity for transfer by interuniversity collaboration. We introduce a gaming exercise herein as part of an action research to solve Kabul’s current urban renewal problems.

Aim. Our paper is especially focused on the international transfer of the URPG. The content includes the background, process and formalisation of the rights conversion and reports on the outline of the two versions of URPG and a play content analysis of the Kabul version. It also mentions the implications of international differences in social systems highlighted from the episodes of the debriefing.

Method. Our action research is evolved from the soft system approach by adding the gaming exercise, which is regarded as its main component.

Results. The implications of the action research are summarised as follows:

(1) URPG is a game that deals with the core mechanism of the rights conversion. Herein, we confirmed the basic performance of the Kabul version for undergraduate education in specialised courses.

(2) Through a debriefing discussion, we revealed the cultural differences for rights notions on lands, which were subsequently taken into the legislative preparation of the rights conversion by the Afghanistan government.

(3) Moreover, we revealed that URPG can deal with a project implementation problem in a given case, although the institutional design of the legislative project framework is a significant problem. Thus, a new gaming exercise based on these two-layered formulations is required.
Taking the Climate Crisis Personally
Authors: Geiser Ken
Published: January 2020

The global threat of a warming planet and the increasing devastating consequences for the environment and vulnerable people throughout the world have pushed the author, a researcher and advocate for cleaner production and safer chemicals, to more dramatically express himself regarding this emergency. Understanding that the climate crisis reveals the fundamental weaknesses of our governance institutions and our production and consumption systems, in a letter to friends the author explains his recent choice to commit civil disobedience in protest for climate action and effective policies.
Does Servant Leadership’s People Focus Facilitate or Constrain Its Positive Impact on Performance? An Examination of Servant Leadership’s Direct, Indirect, and Total Effects on Branch Financial Performance
Authors: Hartnell Chad A. , Karam Elizabeth P. , Kinicki Angelo J. , Dimotakis Nikolaos
Published: January 2020

Servant leadership’s positive effects for employees and the organization are well-documented, but servant leadership theory postulates that servant leaders prioritize people more than production. This untested supposition raises questions about whether servant leadership’s emphasis on employee support relative to goal achievement has negative consequences for a unit’s financial performance through group organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) that constrain servant leadership’s positive effect on unit performance. The resource allocation framework applied to OCBs suggests that trade-offs exist between OCBs and financial performance because both behaviors impose demands on employees’ limited time. In addition, a work group’s social norms may exert subtle forms of pressure on group members to increase their helping behaviors. This pressure may incur process loss that negatively affects financial performance. Data consisting of 546 employees from 103 bank branches within a large Midwestern community bank support servant leadership’s positive direct effect on branch financial performance; its stronger relationship with support climate than goal achievement climate; and its negative indirect effect on branch financial performance through support climate and branch OCBs that weakened servant leadership’s total positive effect on branch financial performance. Goal achievement climate was not significantly associated with branch OCBs. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Collision Tumor of Endometrial Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma and Low-Grade Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Rivera Glorimar , Niu Shuang , Chen Hao , Fahim Dina , Peng Yan
Published: January 2020

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) of the endometrium is an exceedingly rare histologic subtype of endometrial cancer (0.8%). These tumors are highly aggressive with a propensity for metastasis and have a poor prognosis. Among the 17 cases reported to date, 9 cases were pure large cell neuroendocrine tumors and 8 were collision tumors of LCNEC with endometrial carcinomas (7 endometrioid and 1 serous). In this article, we report a case of collision tumor composed of an endometrial LCNEC and a low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS). The patient was a 48 year-old woman who presented with a large abdominal mass for about 10 years and underwent total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and tumor debulking. Microscopic evaluation demonstrated an LGESS with extensive osseous metaplasia that penetrated through the myometrium and invaded into pelvic and abdominal cavity, forming a 40.0-cm mass. Cytogenetic analysis of the LGESS revealed an abnormal female karyotype (45, XX) with multiple structural abnormalities. Incidentally, small foci of LCNEC were identified within the endometrium. The LCNEC focally invaded the myometrium with involvement of the endocervix, extensive lymph-vascular space invasion, and metastases to bilateral ovaries. Subsequently, the patient was treated with cisplatin/etoposide chemotherapy and had been doing well for about a year until presenting with recurrence of LCNEC in the abdomen. She passed away a month later due to medical complications. This report reveals an extremely rare endometrial collision tumor with unusual pathologic features and clinical presentations.
Reliability Study of Diagnostic Tests for Functional Hallux Limitus
Authors: Sánchez-Gómez Rubén , Becerro-de-Bengoa-Vallejo Ricardo , Losa-Iglesias Marta Elena , Calvo-Lobo César , Navarro-Flores Emmanuel , Palomo-López Patricia , Romero-Morales Carlos , López-López Daniel
Published: January 2020

Background:

Functional hallux limitus (FHL) refers to dorsiflexion hallux mobility limitation when the first metatarsal head is under loading conditions but not in the unloaded state. The goal of the study was to evaluate 3 common manual tests (Buell, Dananberg, and Jack tests) for assessing first metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ) mobility and determining the normal values needed to detect FHL, and clarify the signs and symptoms associated with this pathology.

Methods:

Forty-four subjects were included in this reliability study. Subjects were divided into healthy control (non-FHL) and FHL groups according to the Buell first MPJ limitation values in addition to signs and symptoms derived from the literature. In both groups, we measured the mobility in the Buell, Dananberg, and Jack tests using a goniometer; their intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), sensitivities, and specificity indexes were also calculated.

Results:

All techniques showed high reliability across measurement trials with ICCs ranging from 0.928 to 0.999. The optimal mobility grades for predicting FHL were 68.6 ± 3.7 degrees, 21 ± 5.9 degrees, and 25.5 ± 6.5 degrees (mean±SD) ( P < .05) for the Buell, Dananberg, and Jack tests, respectively.

Conclusion:

Normal and limited mobility values were established for assessing FHL using each technique. The sensitivity and specificity data were perfect for the Dananberg and Jack tests, thus identifying these tests as specific and valid tools for use in FHL diagnosis. Pinch callus was the sign most associated with FHL.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, comparative series.
“Let’s Get Ready to Crumble”: Black Municipal Leadership and Public Housing Transformation in the United States
Authors: Owens Michael Leo , Drake Rodriguez Akira , Brown Robert A.
Published: January 2020

U.S. cities transform public housing. Black municipal leadership (BML) may influence the scale and character of public housing removal and redevelopment. Informed by the “Black urban regime” literature, this study assesses whether presence and duration of BML, coupled with other factors, explains variation in public housing transformation for a sample of large cities. Its findings suggest that, controlling for other factors, BML is associated with moderately greater scales of public housing removal in the 1990s and 2000s, but BML is not associated with the “rate of return” by former public housing residents or new residence by public housing eligible households in Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) communities as of 2016. The findings invite further research on the intraracial dynamics and policy consequences of BML. They build, too, on public housing transformation scholarship, raising new questions about how municipal politics shape public housing and other sites of subsidized residence for low-income denizens of cities.
Risk, Resilience, and Smoking in a National, Probability Sample of Sexual and Gender Minority Adults, 2017, USA
Authors: Lee Joseph G. L. , Shook-Sa Bonnie E. , Gilbert Jeffrey , Ranney Leah M. , Goldstein Adam O. , Boynton Marcella H.
Published: January 2020

Background. There are well-documented inequities in smoking between sexual and gender minority (SGM; e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender [LGBT]) and straight and cisgender people. However, there is less information about risk for and resilience against smoking among SGM people. Such information is critical for understanding etiology and developing interventions. Aims. To conduct a within-group assessment of risks and resiliencies relating to smoking status. Method. In 2017, we conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey with a national, probability-based sample of SGM adults ( N = 453). We assessed theory-informed risks (adverse childhood events, substance use–oriented social environment, mental distress, stigma, discrimination, social isolation, and identity concealment) and resiliencies (advertising skepticism, identity centrality, social support, and SGM community participation). We applied survey weights, standardized predictor variables, and fit logistic regression models predicting smoking status. We stratified by age and SGM identity. Results. Patterns of risk and resilience differ by age and identity. Effects were consistently in the same direction for all groups for participating in substance use–oriented social environments, pointing to a potential risk factor for all groups. Advertising skepticism and having people you can talk to about being LGBTQ were potential protective factors. Discussion. Intervention development should address risk and resilience that differs by SGM identity. Additionally, our findings suggest interventionists should consider theoretical frameworks beyond minority stress. Conclusion. While much of the literature has focused on the role of stress from stigma and discrimination in tobacco use, addressing social norms and bolstering protective factors may also be important in SGM-targeted interventions.
Accuracy of the Hill–radial basis function method and the Barrett Universal II formula
Authors: Nemeth Gabor , Modis Laszlo
Published: January 2020

Purpose:

The aim was to assess the postoperative results of a biometric method using artificial intelligence (Hill–radial basis function 2.0), and data from a modern formula (Barrett Universal II) and the Sanders–Retzlaff–Kraft/Theoretical formula.

Methods:

Phacoemulsification and biconvex intraocular lens implantation were performed in 186 cataractous eyes. The diopters of intraocular lens were established with the Hill–radial basis function method, based on biometric data obtained using the Aladdin device. The required diopters of the intraocular lens were also calculated by the Barrett Universal II formula and with the Sanders–Retzlaff–Kraft/Theoretical formula. The differences between the manifest postoperative refractive errors and the planned refractive errors were calculated, as well as the percentage of eyes within ±0.5 D of the prediction error. The mean- and the median absolute refractive errors were also determined.

Results:

The mean age of the patients was 70.13 years (SD = 10.67 years), and the mean axial length was 23.47 mm (range = 20.72–28.78 mm). The percentage of eyes within a prediction error of ±0.5 D was 83.62% using the Hill–radial basis function method, 79.66% with the Barrett Universal II formula, and 74.01% in the case of the Sanders–Retzlaff–Kraft/Theoretical formula. The mean- and the median absolute refractive errors were not statistically different.

Conclusion:

Clinical success was the highest when using the biometric method, based on pattern recognition. The results obtained using Barrett Universal II came a close second. Both methods performed better compared to a traditionally used formula.
Traction table versus standard table total hip arthroplasty through the direct anterior approach: a systematic review
Authors: Sarraj Mohamed , Chen Aaron , Ekhtiari Seper , Rubinger Luc
Published: January 2020

Background:

The direct anterior approach (DAA) for total hip arthroplasty (THA) was originally performed with a supine patient on a specialised traction table, but the approach can also be performed on a standard operating table. Despite cost and safety implications, there are few studies directly comparing these techniques and table choice remains largely surgeon preference. The purpose of this review was to compare the clinical outcomes and complication profiles of traction and standard table DAA for primary THA.

Methods:

The authors searched databases for relevant studies, screening in duplicate. Study quality was assessed using MINORS criteria or Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Data pertaining to patient demographics, clinical outcomes, and complications were abstracted.

Results:

Of 3085 initial titles, 44 studies containing a total 26,353 patients were included and analysed. Mean operative time was 70.9 ± 21.2 minutes for standard table ( n = 4402) and 100.1 ± 32.6 minutes for traction table ( n = 3518). Mean estimated blood loss was 382.3 ± 246.4 mL for standard ( n = 2992) and 531.7 ± 364.3 mL for traction table ( n = 2675). Intra-operative fracture rate was 1.3% for standard table ( n = 3940) and 1.7% for traction table ( n = 8386). Complication rates including revisions, dislocations and peri-prosthetic fractures were qualitatively similar between traction and standard table studies.

Conclusion:

Standard table and traction table DAA have similar outcomes and complications. Both techniques offer the short-term advantages of DAA when compared to other THA approaches. However, the standard table technique may offer perioperative advantages including decreased blood loss, shorter operative time, and fewer intraoperative fractures. In the context of rising global healthcare costs and lack of access to specialised orthopaedic traction tables, this review at minimum confirms the short-term safety of standard table DAA THA and prompts the need for future studies to directly compare these techniques.
l-arginine Supplementation Increased Only Endothelium-Dependent Relaxation in Sprague-Dawley Rats Fed a High-Salt Diet by Enhancing Abdominal Aorta Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene Expression
Authors: Adejare Abdullahi , Oloyo Ahmed , Anigbogu Chikodi , Jaja Smith
Published: January 2020

Background:

Abnormal vascular reactivity and reduced expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase ( eNOS) gene are hallmark of salt-induced hypertension in rats. Although l-arginine is an established vasodilator, the mechanism by which it modulates vascular reactivity in salt-induced hypertension is not clearly understood.

Objectives:

This study was designed to investigate the mechanism by which oral l-arginine supplementation modulates vascular reactivity and eNOS gene expression in Sprague-Dawley rats fed a high-salt diet.

Methods:

Forty-eight weaned male Sprague-Dawley rats of weight range 90 to 110 g were randomly divided into 6 groups of 8 rats per group. Group I was fed normal rat chow ad libitum and served as the Normal Diet group. Group II was fed a diet that contained 8% NaCl. Groups III and IV took normal and high-salt diet, respectively, and then received oral l-arginine supplementation (100 mg/kg/day), while groups V and VI took normal and high-salt diet, respectively, and then were co-administered with both l-arginine and l-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME; 100 mg/kg/day and 40 mg/kg/day, respectively) orally. At the end of 12-week experimental period, the animals were sacrificed to assess vascular reactivity and gene expression level.

Results:

Our results show that high-salt diet significantly reduced ( P < .05) endothelium-dependent relaxation response to acetylcholine and qualitatively reduced eNOS gene expression in the abdominal aorta of the rats. However, l-arginine supplementation improved the impaired endothelium-dependent relaxation and nitric oxide level while ameliorating the reduced eNOS gene expressions.

Conclusion:

This study suggests that oral supplementation of l-arginine enhances endothelial-dependent relaxation in rats fed a high-salt diet by ameliorating eNOS gene expression in the abdominal aorta of the rats.
Lingering technological entanglements: Experiences of childlessness after IVF
Authors: Helosvuori Elina
Published: January 2020

For over four decades, feminist studies of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have been interested in the ethical, political and personal implications of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other infertility treatments. Most work on the implications of ART for women has focused on the demanding cyclical process of trying to become pregnant by using the technology. However, less attention has been paid to the implications of experiencing IVF after the conception phase. This article tackles the under-researched topic of the aftermath of IVF, and discusses the temporality of affective embodied experiences of infertility after one has stopped IVF. Drawing on an ethnographic study of peer support groups for the involuntarily childless in Finland, and on in-depth interviews with women suffering from infertility, this article juxtaposes two groups of women who have had IVF: those who have had children as a result of the procedure, and those who have not. The article proposes an exploration of experiences of childlessness after IVF as ‘lingering technological entanglements’ – that is, as affective and embodied experiences of the effects of IVF, including after the cessation of treatment. It argues that the lingering of these entanglements manifests itself in the enactment of childlessness in relation to the available technology. Furthermore, this results in parents identifying themselves as childless, even after they have gained temporal distance from IVF practices.