bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reform and Resistance
Authors: d’Abbs Peter
Published: May 2015

Alcohol policies and control measures are attempts to change what is deemed (by processes that are themselves open to analysis) to be problematic drinking behavior. Attempts to bring about behavioral or cultural shifts, however, typically generate resistance, which may take place as small local actions by individuals in their everyday lives, or evolve into broader social phenomena. This article argues that, while some alcohol researchers have recognized the presence of resistance to control measures, the nature and determinants of resistance remain poorly understood. The article draws on sociological approaches to resistance in order to redress this. Theoretically, I draw in particular on de Certeau’s conceptualization of resistance as a tactical practice of everyday life. Empirically, I illustrate some key aspects of resistance by referring to manifestations of power and resistance relating to drinking by indigenous people in Fourth World settings such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. The article concludes by arguing that a sociologically informed understanding of resistance is necessary to an adequate understanding of the role and place of alcohol control policies.
Validation of the long- and short-form of the Ethical Values Assessment (EVA)
Authors: Padilla-Walker Laura Maria , Jensen Lene Arnett
Published: May 2015

Moral psychology has been moving toward consideration of multiple kinds of moral concepts and values, such as the Ethics of Autonomy, Community, and Divinity. While these three ethics have commonly been measured qualitatively, the current study sought to validate the long and short forms of the Ethical Values Assessment (EVA), which is a questionnaire developed on the basis of the standard coding manual for the three ethics. Two studies were conducted, the first with a sample of 551 college students (18–29 years, 60% female, 61% European American) and the second with a nationally representative sample of 1,519 individuals (18–93 years, 51% female, 72% European American). Results from Study 1 indicated that a three factor solution using the EVA_L (long form) had adequate model fit, and internal reliability and validity of all three subscales were established. Results from Study 2 showed that model fit for a three-factor solution using the EVA_S (short form) was also acceptable. Measurement invariance as a function of age was established for some subscales and age groups, but not others. Discussion focuses on the implications of this measure for moral psychology and important future research directions.
Cognitive barriers to information seeking: A conceptual analysis
Authors: Savolainen Reijo
Published: May 2015

Based on the conceptual analysis, the study examines the features of cognitive barriers and their impact on information seeking. The study resulted in a typology specifying six sub-types of cognitive barriers: unwillingness to see one’s needs as information needs, inability to articulate one’s information needs, unawareness of information sources, low self-efficacy, poor search skills and inability to deal with information overload. The sub-types were reviewed at two stages of the information-seeking process: identifying and articulating information needs; and selecting and accessing information sources. The impact of cognitive barriers is mainly negative because they block, limit or hamper information seeking, or give rise to negative reactions such as frustration. Cognitive barriers can also impact positively by helping the individual to concentrate on a few, good enough sources of information.
Endogenous pro-thrombotic biomarkers from the arm and leg may not have the same value
Authors: Lattimer Christopher R , Kalodiki Evi , Geroulakos George , Hoppensteadt Debra , Fareed Jawed
Published: May 2015

Objective

Assessments of endogenous pro-thrombotic biomarkers are performed invariably on arm blood. However, the commonest site for thrombosis is in the leg. A leg blood sample may reflect local pro-thrombotic processes more accurately than systemic arm blood. The aim was to determine whether pro-thrombotic biomarkers from standard venous arm samples differed significantly from leg samples.

Method

Concurrent blood samples were taken from an ankle/lower calf varicose vein and an ante-cubital vein in 24 patients awaiting laser treatment as well as age approximated and sex matched healthy controls without venous disease. The following assays were performed: thrombin–antithrombin (ng/ml), antithrombin (%) activity, microparticles (nM), fibrinogen (mg/dl), prothrombin fragment 1.2 (F1.2) (pM) and P-selectin (ng/ml).

Results

Expressed as median (inter-quartile range). Significant arm/leg differences were observed in thrombin–antithrombin, antithrombin, prothrombin fragment 1.2 and P-selectin. The legs of patients had significantly reduced antithrombin activity and P-selectin concentrations compared to their arms (leg: 101 (90–108) versus arm: 112 (99–126), P = 0.001 and leg: 42 (26–52) versus 45 (27–52), P = 0.044, respectively). Control leg samples had significantly increased thrombin–antithrombin and P-selectin compared to control arm samples (leg: 2.1 (0.9–3.2) versus arm: 0.8 (0.5–1.7), P = 0.015 and leg: 36 (24–50) versus arm: 30 (23–41), P = 0.007, respectively). However, the control legs had significantly reduced F1.2 (leg: 265 (230–333) versus arm: 299 (236–361), P = 0.028). No significant arm/leg differences were detected in the microparticle or fibrinogen levels.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that venous arm blood is significantly different from venous leg blood in four out of six biomarkers studied. Recognition of local venous leg sampling as a site for investigation may unravel why the leg has a greater predisposition to thrombosis and lead the way towards an arm/leg differential test.
Electromechanical performance of ionic polymer-metal composite under electrode constraint
Authors: Chang Longfei , Asaka Kinji , Zhu Zicai , Wang Yanjie , Chen Hualing
Published: May 2015

The electro-active performance of ionic polymer-metal composite has been widely reported to be related to the strain caused by the unbalance of local water content. In this paper, the anisotropic strain under electrode constraint in ionic polymer-metal composite during water uptake was investigated. A model was proposed to claim that existence of electrode would lead to anisotropic swelling in ionic polymer-metal composite, and the strain state was significantly affected by the electrode volume proportion as well as the elasticity ratio of the electrode and polymer. Based on Nafion-Pd ionic polymer-metal composite, experiments were carried out to measure the swelling strain during saturation process. Evaluation by the proposed model showed great agreement with the experimental observation, both of which gave the conclusion that, under the surface electrode constraint, strain in the thickness direction was much larger than that in plane directions. At last, based on a formerly-established multi-physical model, it was predicted that for ionic polymer-metal composite, the anisotropy of local swelling can lead to a 10%–15% decrease of the tip displacement.
Characterisation of recycled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene from waste computer equipment in Brazil
Authors: Hirayama Denise , Saron Clodoaldo
Published: May 2015

Polymeric materials constitute a considerable fraction of waste computer equipment and polymers acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene are the main thermoplastic polymeric components found in waste computer equipment. Identification, separation and characterisation of additives present in acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene are fundamental procedures to mechanical recycling of these polymers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the methods for identification of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene from waste computer equipment in Brazil, as well as their potential for mechanical recycling. The imprecise utilisation of symbols for identification of the polymers and the presence of additives containing toxic elements in determinate computer devices are some of the difficulties found for recycling of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene from waste computer equipment. However, the considerable performance of mechanical properties of the recycled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and high-impact polystyrene when compared with the virgin materials confirms the potential for mechanical recycling of these polymers.
A discussion of the ethical implications of random drug testing in the workplace
Authors: Christie Timothy
Published: May 2015

This article discusses the scientific and ethical implications of random drug testing in the workplace. Random drug testing, particularly in safety-sensitive sectors, is a common practice, yet it has received little critical analysis. My conclusion is that there are important ethical challenges with these programs. Employers must ensure that every aspect of their policies are rooted in scientific evidence, linked rationally to the goal of workplace safety, and are ethically justifiable.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Domestic Violence Against Women Attending a Primary Care Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Barnawi Fatima Hamza
Published: May 2015

Domestic violence (DV) against women can negatively affect the physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health of the women as well as the well-being of their children. The objective was to estimate among Saudi women the prevalence of different types of DV, to identify its associated risk factors, and to determine the immediate victims’ reactions to such violence. A cross-sectional study was carried between March and July, 2011. Self-administrated questionnaire was administered to ever-married Saudi women attending Al-Wazarat primary health care center, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Out of the 720 women studied, 144 (20%) reported exposure to DV over the last year. The most common DV types were emotional (69%), social (34%), economic (26%), physical (20%), and sexual violence (10%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, the following characteristics were independently associated with DV: younger women age, longer duration of marriage, higher women education, lower husband education, working husbands, military occupation, fewer children, husbands with multiple wives, smoking husbands, aggressive husbands, presence of chronic disease in women or husbands, and non-sufficient family income. The most common impacts of DV on women were medical or behavioral problems (72%) and psychiatric problems (58%). The most common reactions to DV were seeking separation (56%) and doing nothing (41%). More than 90% of children of abused women suffered psychological or behavioral problems. In conclusion, DV against Saudi women is considerable and the response is generally passive. Promoting a culture non-tolerant to DV and providing accessible, effective, and trustful social services to abused women are critically needed.
Making MY Grade
Authors: Austin Smith Margaret
Published: May 2015

This article presents an “ethnographic revisit” of Making the Grade, Becker, Geer, and Hughes’s (1968) study of student–faculty interaction. A three-year ethnographic study of student–faculty interaction at a U.S. research university shows undergraduates engaging in practices of negotiation unheard of in the study by Becker, Geer, and Hughes. These practices of negotiation include (1) defining effort prior to interaction with faculty; (2) expressing entitlement to such definitions with references to “measurable virtues”; and (3) eliciting empathy to restore desired definitions of effort when they appear to be challenged. I refer to these practices altogether as “making my grade,” and I explain why privileged students are more likely to enact them.
Studies on structurally different diamines and bisphenol benzoxazines
Authors: Rishwana S. Shamim , Pitchaimari G. , Vijayakumar C.T.
Published: May 2015

The compounds resorcinolbisbenzoxazine, quinolbisbenzoxazine, p-phenylene diaminebisbenzoxazine, and m-phenylenediaminebisbenzoxazine are prepared. The structural and thermal characterizations of the materials are done using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and 13C NMR, and differential scanning calorimetry. Both FTIR and NMR studies reveal the presence of oxazine rings in the synthesized monomers. The curing exotherm of these bisbenzoxazines is much influenced by the nature of the aromatic unit present in the chosen compound and also on the type of the benzoxazine unit in the system. Curing kinetics is performed using Flynn–Wall–Ozawa, Vyazovkin, and Friedman methods. The apparent activation energies ( Ea-C) for the thermal curing of the synthesized monomers varied and are dependent on the nature and the position of the functional groups present in the compound. The highest Ea-C values are noted for the compounds having the functionalizations being para oriented.
Clinical, serologic, and immunogenetic characterization (HLA-DRB1) of late-onset lupus erythematosus in a Colombian population
Authors: Peñaranda-Parada E , Quintana G , Yunis J J , Mantilla R , Rojas W , Panqueva U , Caminos J E , Garces M F , Sanchez E , Rondón-Herrera F , de Jesús Iglesias-Gamarra A
Published: May 2015

Introduction

Late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) represents a specific subgroup that is defined as onset after 50 years of age. Late-onset lupus may have a different clinical course and serological findings, which may delay diagnosis and timely treatment.

Objectives

The objective of this paper is to determine the clinical, serologic, and immunogenetic differences among Colombian patients with late-onset SLE versus conventional SLE patients.

Methodology

This was a cross-sectional study in a Colombian population. Patients and their medical records were analyzed from the services of Rheumatology in Bogotá and met the criteria for SLE, according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) revised criteria for the classification of SLE. In a reference group of late-onset SLE patients (98 participants, with an onset after 50 years of age) and a group of conventional SLE patients (72 participants, with an onset of age of 49 years or less), multiple clinical variables (age, clinical criteria for lupus, alopecia, weight loss, fever, Raynaud’s phenomenon) and multiple serological variables (blood count, blood chemistry profile, autoantibodies) were analyzed. Additionally, the HLA class II (DRB1) of all the patients was genotyped, including an additional group of patients without the autoimmune disease. Statistical analysis was performed using the STATA 10.0 package.

Results

In the group of late-onset lupus, there was a higher frequency of pleurisy ( p = 0.002), pericarditis ( p = 0.026), dry symptoms ( p = 0.029), lymphopenia ( p = 0.007), and higher titers of rheumatoid factor ( p = 0.001) compared with the group of conventional SLE. Late-onset SLE patients had a lower seizure frequency ( p = 0.019), weight loss ( p = 0.009), alopecia ( p < 0.001), and Raynaud’s phenomenon ( p = 0.013) compared to the conventional SLE group. In late-onset SLE, HLA DR17 (DR3) was found more frequently compared with individuals without autoimmune disease (OR 3.81, 95% CI 1.47 to 10.59) ( p = 0.0016).

Conclusion

In the Colombian SLE population analyzed, there may be a probable association of several clinical and serologic variants, which would allow the differentiation of variables in the presentation of the disease among patients with late-onset SLE vs. conventional SLE.
Alice Welford (1887–1918), a nurse in World War I: The impact of kindness and compassion
Authors: Watkins PeterJ , Watkins Valerie J
Published: May 2015

The contribution of nurses to the morale of wounded and dying young men during World War 1 was immense. Alice Welford came from the small North Yorkshire village of Crathorne, joined the Queen Alexandra Imperial Military Nursing Service in 1915 and spent the following two and one half years in nursing casualties from some of the fiercest battles of the war including Gallipoli and Salonika. She kept an autograph book inscribed by wounded and dying soldiers, with poignant verses and humorous drawings showing love, wit and tragedy. Despite the dreadful conditions, kindness and compassion brought them comfort and raised their morale – a critical message for today, and Alice’s gift to us from World War I.
Paul Klee (1879–1940) as a tragic figure: What the artist learned from his illness
Authors: Albury WR , Weisz GM
Published: May 2015

Paul Klee was a major contributor to the development of modern European art. An ethnic German (although born in Switzerland) and a German citizen, he was persecuted by the Nazi government on political rather than racial grounds because of his allegedly “degenerate” artistic style. Dismissed from his teaching position, he emigrated to Switzerland in 1933; shortly afterward he became ill with systemic sclerosis and struggled with this condition for the remaining years of his life. Many publications have examined the effect of social rejection and illness on his art, but the present study considers the effect of these adversities on Klee’s attitude toward his fellow humans. After being an extreme misanthrope in his early adult years, he developed an attitude of cosmic indifference toward humanity during the First World War, which he then maintained until the end of 1939. Although his rejection by Germany had been a significant emotional blow, it was the physical suffering caused by his illness that led him, at the end of his life, to show compassion toward the suffering of other individuals. In this he was like tragic figures such as King Lear who learned from their great misfortunes to value humanity.
Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847–1919): Psychiatric hospitalization and the abduction of an American landscape artist
Authors: Davidson Jonathan RT
Published: May 2015

Ralph Blakelock was a leading American landscape painter. Much of his life was lived in obscurity and destitution. He developed late onset paranoid schizophrenia, resulting in prolonged hospitalization. During his time in hospital, demand for Blakelock’s works grew, but he was unable to enjoy any of this success. Instead, the artist fell prey to unscrupulous and unlikely exploitation by a self-appointed guardian, aided and abetted by Blakelock’s psychiatrists, which broke his spirit and may well have hastened his demise.
Morris Young, pioneer physician
Authors: Amadouny Vartan Manoug
Published: May 2015

This concise biography of Morris Young shows how he developed the medical services of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company in the first three decades of the twentieth century, and ended his career working with Sir Alexander Fleming at St Mary’s Hospital in London. Young is an important figure in the history of medicine in Persia, and this biography introduces the achievements of this modest man who devoted his life to medicine.
‘A certain instability of mind’: Herbert Mayo, 1796–1852, Surgeon and Physiologist
Authors: Bradley James
Published: May 2015

Herbert Mayo was a significant physiologist and an important figure in the London medical world of the 1820s and 1830s. And yet, a combination of poor decision-making and dabbling in heterodox medicine damaged his reputation. The life of Herbert Mayo illustrates that during the critical period before the 1858 Medical Act the boundary between orthodox and alternative medicine was porous. It also gives important insights into the politics of medicine at this time, particularly the significance of character to becoming a successful medical practitioner.
Age at Marriage
Authors: Prabhuswamy P.
Published: May 2015

‘Age at marriage’ is not only a crucial but also a decisive variable in limiting family size and fertility level. There is an inverse correlation between age at marriage and fertility level. If age at marriage increases, fertility level would decline. In order to examine this relationship, the present study has collected data from households of Yerava tribe in Kodagu district of Karnataka. A sample of 10 tribal colonies was selected on the basis of a stratified sampling procedure. A total of 250 households were selected on the principle of randomness. A pre-tested schedule was used to collect data from an adult member of each household. The data have been used to examine the prevailing age at marriage and opinion about the marriageable age among the people of Yerava tribe. It has been found that a majority of them are aware of the legally prescribed minimum age for marriage. However, Yeravas prefer to marry their sons and daughters as they reach adulthood. It has been found that the legally prescribed minimum age at marriage predominantly prevails among Yeravas.
Generalized anxiety disorder: psychopharmacotherapy update on a common and commonly overlooked condition
Authors: Starcevic Vladan
Published: May 2015

Objective:

This article provides a brief review of the practical implications of the current diagnostic conceptualisation of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and an update on its pharmacotherapy.

Conclusions:

The diagnostic criteria for GAD need to be refined, to better reflect its clinical features and to make GAD more clinically useful. Various pharmacological agents are effective for GAD and to some extent, allow a tailored treatment approach. In addition to effectiveness, the choice of medication is influenced by the speed of therapeutic action, tolerability and habit-forming properties.
Traumatic Grief After Homicide
Authors: Aldrich Holly , Kallivayalil Diya
Published: May 2015

In this article, we examine the impact of community response on the devastating experience of losing a loved one to homicide. Although traumatic grief is deeply personal, an individual’s loss is also inevitably social, and survivors often contend with varying expectations from family members, community, and society at large, which have a profound impact on their experience of loss and grieving. In this article, using relevant clinical material, we seek to illuminate four key issues that emerge in the immediate and enduring aftermath of homicide: (a) common expectations of homicide survivors from family and surrounding community, particularly around the dominant narratives of healing and closure; (b) similarities and disparities in personal and public narratives of singular and multivictim homicides; (c) the permanence of traumatic loss and survivors’ enduring sense of apartness from others; and (d) the impact of homicide bereavement work on clinicians. These and other issues are explored with relevant case examples and clinical recommendations for working with this population. These reflections are based on our experience of doing long-term clinical work with survivors of homicide at the Center for Homicide Bereavement, a community-based program of the Victims of Violence Program at the Cambridge Health Alliance.
High School Math and Science Preparation and Postsecondary STEM Participation for Students With an Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Wei Xin , Yu Jennifer W. , Shattuck Paul , Blackorby Jose
Published: May 2015

Previous studies suggest that individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely than other disability groups and the general population to gravitate toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. However, the field knows little about which factors influence the STEM pipeline between high school and postsecondary STEM major. This study analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2, a nationally representative sample of students with an ASD in special education in the United States. Findings suggest that students with an ASD who took more classes in advanced math in a general education setting were more likely to declare a STEM major after controlling for background characteristics and previous achievement level. Educational policy implications are discussed.
Long-Term Chronic Toxicity and Mesothelial Cell Reactions Induced by Potassium Octatitanate Fibers (TISMO) in the Left Thoracic Cavity in A/J Female Mice
Authors: Yokohira Masanao , Hashimoto Nozomi , Nakagawa Toshitaka , Nakano Yuko , Yamakawa Keiko , Kishi Sosuke , Kanie Shohei , Ninomiya Fumiko , Saoo Kousuke , Imaida Katsumi
Published: May 2015

The present study was conducted to examine the chronic effects of potassium octatitanate fibers (trade name TISMO; chemical formula K2O·6TiO2) on the mouse lung and thoracic cavity. This method of infusion was employed to examine the direct effects of the fibers to the pleura. In the present study, 52- and 65-week experiments were employed to examine the long-term chronic effects after infusion of fiber-shaped TISMO into the thoracic cavities of A/J mice. Following this infusion, TISMO fibers were observed in the alveoli, indicating penetration through the visceral pleura. The additional histopathological detection of TISMO fibers in the liver, spleen, kidneys, ovary, heart, bone marrow, and brain of TISMO-infused mice indicated migration of the fibers out from the thoracic cavity. Atypical mesothelial cells with severe pleural proliferation were observed, but malignant mesotheliomas were not detected. This study demonstrated that intrathoracic infusion of TISMO fiber did not cause malignant mesothelioma but did cause severe chronic inflammation and proliferation of pleural mesothelial cells.
Nail-Patella Syndrome
Authors: Al-Dawsari Najla , Al-Mokhadam Ahmed , Al-Abdulwahed Hind , Al-Sannaa Nouriya
Published: May 2015

Background:

Nail-patella syndrome (NPS) is an autosomal dominant disorder with a variable interfamilial and intrafamilial clinical expressivity and penetrance. It is caused by loss-of-function heterozygous mutation in the LIM-homeodomain transcription factor (LMX1B) located on chromosome 9q. The pleiotropic LMB1X gene, a member of the homeogene family, is involved in the development of glomerular basement membrane, dorsoventral limb structures, along with the nails and the anterior segment of the eye.

Objective:

Here, we report a Saudi Arab consanguineous family with 2 affected sisters presented with the typical nail changes of NPS.

Methods:

DNA samples were collected from the sisters and their parents after consent.

Results:

Both sisters were found to be homozygous for a previously described disease-causing mutation (c.268C>T) at the (LMX1B) gene. Both of the phenotypically normal parents were confirmed to be heterozygous for the same mutation.

Conclusion:

This finding supports the autosomal recessive mode of inheritance in this family.
Internet health seeking behaviour of parents attending a general paediatric outpatient clinic: A cross-sectional observational study
Authors: Sebelefsky Christian , Karner Denise , Voitl Jasmin , Klein Frederic , Voitl Peter , Böck Andreas
Published: May 2015

Introduction

Our aim was to examine the internet health seeking behaviour of parents attending a general paediatric outpatient clinic. For this purpose, the proportion of parents going online to obtain child health information, the most commonly used online resources, and factors having an influence on internet usage were identified.

Methods

This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at a general paediatric outpatient clinic in Vienna, Austria. Data collection was done by means of an anonymous questionnaire containing 14 items. A total number of 500 questionnaires were collected.

Results

Among parents visiting the outpatient clinic, 94.4% use the internet to obtain child health information in general and 21% to be informed about the reason for consultation. Most commonly used online resources are Google (91.4%), websites run by doctors (84.8%), Wikipedia (84.7%), health portals (76.4%), the outpatient clinic's homepage (76.4%), as well as health forums and communities (61.9%). Younger parents ( p = 0.022) and parents of younger children ( p < 0.01) display a higher tendency to use the internet for child health information purposes. Mothers and fathers ( p = 0.151) as well as parents with different completed educational levels (mothers: p = 0.078; fathers: p = 0.388) do not differ in this behaviour.

Discussion

Important reasons for high internet use might be the inexperience of young parents regarding child health as well as the frequent infections, vaccinations, and preventive check-ups which are associated with young age of children. In contrast to former findings relating to health seekers in general, internet usage of parents is independent of their sex and educational level.
Assessing the impact of telestration on surgical telementoring: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Budrionis Andrius , Hasvold Per , Hartvigsen Gunnar , Bellika Johan Gustav
Published: May 2015

Introduction

Using graphical annotations in surgical telementoring promises vast improvements in both clinical and educational outcomes. However, these assumptions do not consider the potential patient safety risks resulting from this feature. Major differences in regulations regarding the implementation of telestration encourage an assessment of the utility of this feature on the outcomes of telementoring sessions.

Methods

Eight students participated in a randomized controlled trial, comparing verbal with annotation-supplemented telementoring via video conferencing. A remote mentor guided the participants through four localization exercises, identifying the features in a still laparoscopic surgery scene using a laparoscopic simulator. Clinical and educational outcomes were assessed; the time consumption and quality of mentoring were determined.

Results

The study revealed no significant difference in localizing the intervention between the studied methods, while educational outcomes favoured verbal mentoring. Telestration-supplemented guidance was considerably faster and resulted in fewer miscommunications between the mentor and mentee.

Discussion

The initial hypothesis of the major clinical and education benefits of telestration in telementoring was not supported. A potential 33% decrease in the duration of the mentored episodes is expected due to the ability to annotate live video content. However, the impact of time saving on the outcome of the procedure remains unclear. Regardless of the quantitative measures, most of the participants and the mentor agreed that graphical annotations provide advantages over verbal guidance.
Treating rural paediatric obesity through telemedicine vs. telephone: Outcomes from a cluster randomized controlled trial
Authors: Davis Ann M , Sampilo Marilyn , Gallagher Katherine Steiger , Dean Kelsey , Saroja M Baby , Yu Qing , He Jianghua , Sporn Nora
Published: May 2015

Objective

The objective of the current study was to examine the feasibility of telemedicine vs. telephone for the delivery of a multidisciplinary weekly family-based behavioural group intervention to treat paediatric obesity delivered to families living in rural areas using a randomized controlled trial methodology.

Methods

103 rural children and their families were recruited. Feasibility measures included participant satisfaction, session attendance and retention. Treatment outcome measures included child Body Mass Index z-score (BMIz), parent BMI, 24-hour dietary recalls, accelerometer data, the child behavior checklist and the behavioral pediatrics feeding assessment scale.

Results

Participants were highly satisfied with the intervention both via telemedicine and via telephone. Completion rates were much higher than for other paediatric obesity intervention programmes, and both methodologies were highly feasible. There were no differences in telemedicine and telephone groups on primary outcomes.

Conclusion

Both telemedicine and telephone intervention appear to be feasible and acceptable methods of delivering paediatric obesity treatment to rural children.
Benefits of being bilingual? The relationship between pupils’ perceptions of teachers’ appreciation of their home language and executive functioning
Authors: Goriot Claire , Denessen Eddie , Bakker Joep , Droop Mienke
Published: May 2015

Aims:

We aimed to investigate whether bilingual pupil’s perceptions of teachers’ appreciation of their home language were of influence on bilingual cognitive advantages.

Design:

We examined whether Dutch bilingual primary school pupils who speak either German or Turkish at home differed in perceptions of their teacher’s appreciation of their HL, and whether these differences could explain differences between the two groups in executive functioning.

Data and analysis:

Executive functioning was measured through computer tasks, and perceived home language appreciation through orally administered questionnaires. The relationship between the two was assessed with regression analyses.

Findings:

German-Dutch pupils perceived there to be more appreciation of their home language from their teacher than Turkish-Dutch pupils. This difference did partly explain differences in executive functioning. Besides, we replicated bilingual advantages in nonverbal working memory and switching, but not in verbal working memory or inhibition.

Originality and significance:

This study demonstrates that bilingual advantages cannot be dissociated from the influence of the sociolinguistic context of the classroom. Thereby, it stresses the importance of culturally responsive teaching.
The biopolitics of precarity and the self
Authors: McCormack Donna , Salmenniemi Suvi
Published: May 2015

This Special Issue explores the biopolitics of precarity and the self. In so doing, its aim is to critically examine the changing landscape of technologies of the self and techniques of domination in late capitalism. It brings Foucault’s work on biopolitics into conversation with recent feminist, Marxist, postcolonial, disability and queer scholarship on precarity. In a feminist tradition of thinking through relationality and ethics, this Special Issue engages with those moments when technologies of regulation, surveillance and normalization do not quite work. ‘The Biopolitics of Precarity and the Self’ analyzes recent debates on precarity and precariousness in relation to migration and labour, health and illness, and the formation of the self and collectivities. It identifies temporality and care of both the self and others as key dimensions of precarity and explores how biopolitical structures of neoliberal capitalism institutionalize precarity that exacerbates existing global and local inequalities. We therefore raise questions around what it means to live, endure, survive and make life and labour possible without doing harm to the self or others. In this sense, this Special Issue brings to the fore the temporalities, politics and ethics of what is not always recognized in biomedical practices, labour migrations, media representations, labour of the self and everyday agency.
Household consumption and environmental change: Rethinking the policy problem through narratives of food practice
Authors: Paddock Jessica
Published: May 2015

Central to debates concerned with societal transition towards low-carbon living is the imperative to encourage individual subjects to shift their behaviours to support less consumptive ways of life: eating less meat, consuming less energy and water, and wasting less of what we do consume. Exploring narratives derived from 30 interviews with householders living in and around a UK city, this article considers the dynamics surrounding consumption, unpacking the notion that consumers act as agents of choice. Drawing on accounts of daily routines, the article pays close attention to the complexity of social, cultural and material factors that shape narratives of daily life, where food emerges as a core organising principle. This suggests that food practice provides a nexus point around which change can be more effectively conceptualised for public policies aimed at inculcating more sustainable ways of life. That is, through an understanding of food practice, we can explore means of locking and unlocking wider practices deemed unsustainable.
The anatomy of contractual illegality
Authors: Tan Zhong Xing
Published: May 2015

When will a contract be rendered unenforceable as a result of illegality? This question has plagued the courts for decades, while the law has been left in a confused state. In this article, I propose an overarching idea to navigate a path through the doctrinal morass: where a party has culpably abused a contract for anti-social acts, this party will not be allowed to enforce his otherwise valid contractual rights. I use this idea to reconcile the disparate rules regarding statutory and common law illegality, doctrinal distinctions between illegally formed and illegally performed contracts, and emerging questions relating to the fluid notion of ‘public policy’, the relevant state of mind of a plaintiff in deciding contractual enforceability and the scope of newer principles relating to ‘remoteness’, ‘proximity’ and ‘proportionality’; as well as to re-orient academic and judicial discussion towards the issues that really matter in this dynamic area of law.
The conduct requirement in the law of attempt
Authors: Briggs Margaret
Published: May 2015

The law of attempt draws a line between non-criminal preparatory conduct and conduct that is sufficiently close to the substantive offence to attract criminal liability. To assist with the line-drawing exercise, the New Zealand Crimes Act 1961 specifies a test of ‘immediate or proximate connection’ with the intended offence. The New Zealand Court of Appeal has recently applied a very flexible interpretation to the statutory test, with the result that the line for criminal liability is now pushed back further than in earlier judicial interpretations of the provision. This article examines whether the Court of Appeal’s approach is an appropriate method of assessing liability for attempt. With reference to proposals made by the Law Commission (UK), the article concludes by suggesting that instead of overly extending the margins of attempt, a separate offence of doing acts ‘preparatory to’ an attempt may, in some situations, be a more accurate way of labelling and penalising an actor’s misconduct.
Information Search and Decision Making in Computer-Based Wildfire Simulations
Authors: Drews Frank A. , Siebeneck Laura , Cova Thomas
Published: May 2015

Decision making in complex environments has been investigated in many domains, including medicine, aviation, business, and police operations. However, how incident commanders (ICs) make protective-action recommendations (PARs) to populations exposed to wildfire risks is underinvestigated. In this study we examined the effect of expertise on IC non-time-limited information search and decision making and how ICs update information during the evolution of complex, computer-simulated wildfire scenarios. The results indicate that higher expertise reduces the overall amount of information being searched for, without affecting the quality of PAR decisions. In addition, a statistical trend suggests that information updating during the progression of the scenario involves disproportionate less-static information versus dynamic information. Finally, ICs demonstrated a strong preference for evacuation recommendations over alternative recommendations, even when an evacuation may result in less optimal outcomes.
Aneurysmal vasculopathy in human-acquired immunodeficiency virus-infected adults: Imaging case series and review of the literature
Authors: Thawani Jayesh P , Nayak Nikhil R , Pisapia Jared M , Petrov Dmitriy , Pukenas Bryan A , Hurst Robert W , Smith Michelle J
Published: May 2015

Background

Intracranial vasculopathy in adult patients with human-acquired immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a rare but increasingly recognized disease entity.

Objective

We aimed to contribute to and summarize the adult literature describing patients with HIV/AIDS who have intracranial vasculopathy.

Methods

A retrospective review of adult patients with HIV/AIDS undergoing diagnostic cerebral angiography at our institution from 2007–2013 was performed. A literature review of relevant existing studies was performed.

Results

Five adult patients with HIV-related aneurysmal and occlusive vasculopathy were diagnosed and/or treated at our institution. A comprehensive review of the literature yielded data from 17 series describing 28 adult patients with HIV/AIDS and intracranial vasculopathy. Our review suggests that low CD4 count, motor weakness, and meningismus may be associated with the sequelae of intracranial vasculopathy/vasculitis in patients with HIV/AIDS.

Conclusion

Patients with HIV/AIDS who have aneurysmal and stenotic vascular disease may benefit from earlier surveillance with the onset of neurological symptoms. The roles of medical, open surgical, and endovascular therapy in this unique entity will be further defined as the pathological basis of the disease is better understood.
On the Exception of Hannah Arendt
Authors: Çubukçu Ayça
Published: May 2015

This article offers a close reading of Hannah Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. It argues that in this text, Arendt consistently, even obsessively, evaluates the legal and moral challenges posed by Eichmann’s trial through the relationship between exception and rule. The article contends that the analytical lens of the exception allows us to appreciate the perplexities that Eichmann in Jerusalem presents – some fifty years after the book’s publication – from a still uncommon perspective, and enables us to attend in new ways to Arendt’s own suppositions, propositions, and contradictions in this text.
Failure distributions in multicomponent systems with imperfect repairs
Authors: Arnold Richard , Chukova Stefanka , Hayakawa Yu
Published: May 2015

We present a model for correlated failures in multicomponent systems where failed components are repaired. Due to these repairs multiple failures of each component are observable. Repair is instantaneous, but imperfect: in general the component is not returned to the good-as-new condition. Correlation amongst failures and the overall ageing of the system are modelled by treating each component failure as a shock which damages the other components in the system. We construct the likelihood for observations generated by such a system, and show how to simulate from this model. We demonstrate inference of the model parameters with simulated data and two real-world examples.
Managing acute central nervous system infections in the UK adult intensive care unit in the wake of UK encephalitis guidelines
Authors: Stoeter DJ , Michael BD , Solomon T , Poole L
Published: May 2015

The acute central nervous system infections meningitis and encephalitis commonly require management on intensive care units. The clinical features often overlap and in the acute phase–altered consciousness and seizures may also need to be managed. In April 2012, the first UK national guideline for the management of suspected viral encephalitis was published by the British Infection Association and Association of British Neurologists, and other key stakeholders, and included a simple management algorithm. The new guideline results from evidence demonstrating a number of common oversights in the standard management of suspected viral encephalitis in many settings. In combination with British Infection Association meningitis guidelines, evidence-based approaches now exist to facilitate the non-expert managing patients with suspected central nervous system infections. Here we bring together these guidelines and the supporting evidence applicable for intensivists into a single resource.
The Utility of Community Health Workers in Disaster Preparedness, Recovery, and Resiliency
Authors: Nicholls Keith , Picou J. Steven , Curtis Joycelyn , Lowman Janel A.
Published: May 2015

Lay Health Workers can play a pivotal role in improving disaster response and recovery because of their potential effectiveness in enhancing the overall health of their communities, increasing disaster preparedness, supplementing the efforts of disaster responders, and building relationships of trust among all interested parties. Such activities build social capital and significantly enhance community resiliency in anticipation of future disasters. Although there are a number of different types of lay health workers, the version with the greatest potential in this area is the Community Health Worker (CHW). Recent research findings confirm that CHWs serving in the communities where they live have been beneficial in emergency management planning and disaster recovery, following both natural and technological disasters. When properly trained, they constitute a proven strategy for timely interventions aimed at reducing long-term collective trauma and building social capital. In this paper, we elaborate the characteristics and roles of CHWs as a specific type of lay health worker; review research on the utility of CHWs in health care generally, as well as in the area of emergency management; describe their potential for building social capital and enhancing community resilience; and provide an overview of essential training needed to prepare them to participate in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. We conclude with some suggestions for future research.
A transparent framework for defining the Anthropocene Epoch
Authors: Lewis Simon L , Maslin Mark A
Published: May 2015

Lewis and Maslin (2015) applied modern geological requirements to a systematic search for evidence of markers that could be used to define a new geological time unit, the Anthropocene Epoch. These must include (1) a near-permanent change to the Earth System that sets it on to a new trajectory and (2) global changes to the Earth System recorded in a number of stratigraphic deposits worldwide to provide a correlative boundary event or marker called a Global Stratotype Section & Point (GSSP) or ‘golden spike’. Using this framework Lewis and Maslin conclude that just two time periods likely adhere to the criteria. These are the irreversible cross-ocean exchange of species alongside the globally synchronous coolest part of the ‘Little Ice Age’ in the 17th century, marked by the 1610 minima of CO2 (Orbis Spike), or the accelerating atmospheric, oceanic and terrestrial changes in the second half of the 20th century, conveniently marked by the 1964 peak radionuclide fallout (Bomb Spike). Two recent responses by members of the Anthropocene Working Group (Zalasiewicz, 2015a, 2015b) to Lewis and Maslin (2015) do not dispute the GSSP framework, nor that these are the only two time periods that minimally fit the requirements for a new epoch. Instead they question our selection of two specific 1610 and 1964 GSSP primary markers. We respond to their misconceptions and misunderstandings about geological criteria and relevant evidence required to define a GSSP. Our primary goal, however, is to present a framework to assist the scientific community in objectively and transparently arriving at a robust selection of a GSSP and correlated markers to define the Anthropocene Epoch.
Lipocalin produced by myelofibrosis cells affects the fate of both hematopoietic and marrow microenvironmental cells
Authors: Lu Min , Xia Lijuan , Liu Yen-Chun , Hochman Tsivia , Bizzari Laetizia , Aruch Daniel , Lew Jane , Weinberg Rona , Goldberg Judith D. , Hoffman Ronald
Published: May 2015

Key Points

LCN2 acts to generate reactive oxygen species, leading to increased DNA strand breaks and apoptosis in normal CD34+ cells. LCN2 promotes the generation of osteoblasts but diminishes adipogenesis, resembling the composition of the MF marrow microenvironment.
High-density preculture of PBMCs restores defective sensitivity of circulating CD8 T cells to virus- and tumor-derived antigens
Authors: Wegner Julia , Hackenberg Stephan , Scholz Claus-Jürgen , Chuvpilo Sergey , Tyrsin Dmitry , Matskevich Alexey A. , Grigoleit Götz Ulrich , Stevanović Stefan , Hünig Thomas
Published: May 2015

Key Points

CD8 memory T cells in PBMCs are antigen-hyporesponsive due to loss of priming by tissue-dependent interactions. Preculture at high cell density allows the detection of antiviral and antitumor responses that may be overlooked without this step.