bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Students Learn Integration: Replication of the Sorenson (1997A) Model
Authors: Staton Rebecca , Sorenson Randall Lehmann , Kemp Hendrika Vande
Published: February 2018

Although Christian doctoral programs in clinical psychology have existed for over three decades with the explicit goal of teaching students to integrate psychology and faith, until recently no one had ever examined empirically how students in fact learn to do this, according to the students themselves. Sorenson (1997a) studied students at Rosemead School of Psychology and found that a faculty dimension concerning relational attachment greatly impacted students’ integration, but the question arises whether these results are unique to Rosemead or generalize to other integrative Christian psychology doctoral programs. The present study tested this question empirically by replicating the Sorenson (1997a) study with students of the Graduate School of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary. Results indicate that Fuller students learn integration the same way Rosemead students do. Implications for integrative programs are discussed in conclusion.
Spiritual Well-Being Scale Ethnic Differences between Caucasians and African-Americans
Authors: Miller Geri , Fleming Willie , Brown-Anderson Felicia
Published: February 2018

The Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWB) has been used to examine the various levels of well-being with a variety of groups. However, the scale has not been examined in terms of the impact of ethnicity on scale results specifically comparing Caucasians and African-Americans. This study, which was a follow-up to previous quantitative/qualitative studies, examined the impact of ethnicity in terms of Caucasians and African-Americans. The SWB Scale was administered to 119 Caucasians and 97 African-Americans. Factor analysis was used to determine the validity of the scale with regard to ethnicity. The results showed three scale factors for the Caucasians (religious well being, life satisfaction/purpose, future) and five scale factors for the African-Americans (connection with God, satisfaction with God and day-to-day living, future /life contentment, personalized relationship with God, meaningfulness). Ethnic differences in the SWB Scale are addressed with recommendations for further research.
Relationship of Church Giving to Immunological and Txpa Stress Response
Authors: Neumann Joseph K. , Chi David S.
Published: February 2018

Current research indicates that theistic religious values are positively correlated with good health. Financial giving, an index of sincere faith, and acute psychological stress response were explored in this study of 38 community adults. A sample reporting much financial giving to an organized place of worship was compared to a group reporting little giving. Volunteers were exposed to a standard psychological stressor, mirror tracing with noise. Group differences were found for a number of immunological and other psychological responses (e.g., monocyte levels, electromyograph indices) in response to both the stressor and the group factor. Further, the Give Little group had significantly higher anger and hostility measures, lower forgiveness levels, and poorer stress coping strategies than the Give Much group. The Give Much group generally had baseline and stress response indices that were more consistent with good health than the Give Little group. This heuristic investigation suggests that church financial giving may relate to psychological and physiological factors that promote good health although study limitations restrict extrapolation from this research.
Families in Missions: A Research Context
Authors: Powell John R.
Published: February 2018

Over the past quarter-century there has been an increase of concern regarding the experiences and development of missionary children and their families. This review notes recent research efforts directed toward a better understanding of these areas and seeks to provide a context for coordinated research in this area. The development and activities of the research group, Missionary Kids-Consultation and Research Team/Committee on Research and Endowment (MK-CART/CORE), which coordinates research among its several mission agencies, are explicated. Attention is given to distinctives inherent to this approach. Three major projects to date are noted: the boarding school personnel study, the adult missionary kid (AMK) study, and the recently completed missionary family study. Suggestions for future research are made.
Spiritual, Family, and Ministry Satisfaction among Missionaries
Authors: Andrews Leslie A.
Published: February 2018

Missionaries function within overlapping communities or subsystems which comprise the larger cross-cultural missions system. This study assumed a synergistic relationship among these subsystems of spiritual life, family life, and vocational ministry. Stability among relationships and processes within each of these subsystems is important to the well-being of missionaries and the advancement of the Gospel. Presumably, satisfaction among missionaries contributes to stability within each of these subsystems as well as to the global cross-cultural mission system. The focus of this study was the interrelationship of missionaries’ satisfaction with their spiritual lives, family lives, and vocational ministries. A number of significant results were observed. Missionaries in this study typically registered high levels of satisfaction with their family lives, vocational ministries, and spiritual lives. The practice of selected spiritual disciplines was positively associated with spiritual life satisfaction. Family life satisfaction, spousal dynamics, and spiritual life satisfaction correlated positively with each other. Perception of one's family of origin correlated significantly with current spousal and family relationships. Finally, missionaries who experienced their missions of affiliation as promoting and encouraging opportunities for their spiritual growth and nurture experienced higher levels of ministry satisfaction, missionary status satisfaction, and family life satisfaction.
Developing Member Care Affiliations: Personal Reflections and Community Psychology Contributions
Authors: O'Donnell Kelly
Published: February 2018

One of the recent developments in the care of missionary personnel has been the formation of regional inter-agency member-care affiliations (RIMAs). These groups help to identify and develop needed resources (e.g., team building workshops, crisis care networks, attrition research) on behalf of mission personnel in a specific region (e.g., West Africa, South Asia, German-speaking Europe). RIMAs reflect the growing cooperative efforts within both the international health care and mission communities. This article explores several characteristics of these strategic new affiliations, offers suggestions for their formation and maintenance, and includes some personal reflections from the author. Helpful concepts from the field of community psychology are also discussed, such as identifying groups or areas at risk and empowering missionaries and member care personnel with additional skills.
The Relationship of Object Relations Development to Cultural Adjustment in a Missionary Sample
Authors: Hall M. Elizabeth Lewis , Duvall Nancy S. , Edwards Keith J. , Pike Patricia L.
Published: February 2018

The present study investigated the relationship between level of object relations and cross-cultural adjustment in a missionary sample. It was hypothesized that the ego functions of current object relations, thought processes, reality testing, defensive functioning, and regulation of drives would be related to psychological and sociocultural adjustment. One hundred and sixty missionaries living in 46 countries completed a questionnaire assessing these variables. Canonical correlations confirmed the hypothesized relationships. It was concluded that object relations theory provides a useful framework for understanding an individual's capacity to adjust cross-culturally.
Marital Satisfaction, Cross-Cultural Adjustment Stress, and the Psychological Sequelae
Authors: Sweatman Stephen M.
Published: February 2018

A population of missionaries experiencing the stress of cross-cultural adjustment in their first assignment abroad was used to examine the relationship of marital satisfaction and psychological symptoms. The study consisted of a mail survey in which 67 married missionaries completed self-report surveys of marital satisfaction, depression, and anxiety. No relationship was found between marital satisfaction and anxiety. A significant relationship between general marital satisfaction and depression was found. The quality of marriage appears to either exacerbate the stress leading to increased depression or to buffer the stress, leading to decreased depression. The study adds to a larger body of research indicating that social support systems are stress buffering. Post hoc analysis revealed that there exists an even stronger significant relationship between marital satisfaction about leisure time together and depression.
Dissociative Disorders in Adult Missionary Kids: Report on Five Cases
Authors: Rosik Christopher H. , Kilbourne-Young Karen L.
Published: February 2018

Growing up in a cross-cultural missions context exposes children to some unique psychological stressors. The present article explores the manner through which these stressors may increase vulnerability to the development of a dissociative adjustment in missionary kids (MKs) exposed to significant trauma. Five cases of dissociative disorder among adult MKs were investigated for the reported prevalence of abusive and unique missions-related stress. The case analyses indicate that dissociative disorders can be found within the adult MK population. Furthermore, exposure to some unique missions stressors appeared to be associated with the occurrence of a dissociative disorder in this sample, although determination of the nature and degree of this relationship awaits controlled research.
Missionary Stressors and Implications for Care
Authors: Carter Joan
Published: February 2018

A Likert-type rating scale was used to rate the amount of stress caused by potential stressors. These ratings were completed by 306 Christian & Missionary Alliance missionaries in 13 fields over an 8-year period. The top 10 to 15 stressors were consistently identified and were consistent with those identified by Gish (1983). Stressors on the whole rated higher than in Gish's study. Two major themes emerge encompassing most of the highest stressors, namely interpersonal relationships and management issues. Comparison between fields, males and females, and marrieds and singles are presented. Implications for missionary care are suggested.
Secular versus Christian Inpatient Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Programs: Impact on Depression and Spiritual Well-Being
Authors: Hawkins Rebecca S. , Tan Siang-Yang , Turk Anne A.
Published: February 2018

Holistic conceptions of healthy personality and functioning theorize that spiritual and psychological well-being and wholeness are interconnected. In an inpatient group of clinically depressed Christian adults, this study compared the effectiveness of Christian cognitive-behavior therapy (CCBT; n = 18) to that of traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (n = 11). There was a significant correlation between a reduction in depression and an improvement in spiritual well-being (SWB; p < .0005). Both groups demonstrated significant reductions in levels of depression (p < .0005) and improvements in SWB (p < .0005). Furthermore, there were significantly higher overall SWB scores for those in the CCBT program (p. < .01). This provides encouragement for the use of therapy that matches and utilizes religious values.
Religiously-Motivated Sexual Orientation Change: A Follow-Up Study
Authors: Schaeffer Kim W. , Nottebaum Lynde , Dech Patty Smith Kara , Krawczyk Jill
Published: February 2018

One year after an initial study, follow-up research was conducted on 140 individuals attempting to change their homosexual orientation due to their religious beliefs. The follow-up participants (102 males and 38 females) came from a group of 248 who took part in a prior study. Survey results indicated a behavioral success rate of 60.8% for males and 71.1% for females during the year following the initial study. Participants were considered behaviorally successful if they had abstained from any type of physical homosexual contact in the past year. Success was associated with strong religious motivation and positive mental health. Of those who were not behaviorally successful, the majority (88.2%) indicated that they were still attempting to change their sexual orientation. This finding suggests that these participants still believed enough in the possibility of change to continue to pursue reorientation.
“I’ll call you…” Communication frequency as a regulator of satisfaction and commitment across committed and casual sexual relationship types
Authors: Collins Tara J. , Horn Tori L.
Published: February 2018

Casual sexual relationships (CSRs) are common among young adults. Although it is a widely discussed topic in the popular media, little empirical work has examined the expectations related to communication within these relationships. Moreover, few studies have made comparative examinations across various relationship types. Through two studies, we first identified the differences in communication, satisfaction, and commitment across relationship types. Then we examined communication frequency as a regulator of satisfaction and commitment across relationship types. In Study 1, participants responded to a hypothetical relationship scenario depicting either a committed relationship (CR), friends with benefits (FWB), or a booty call/fuck buddy relationship (BC/FB); they indicated how committed and satisfied they would feel as well as how frequently they would communicate with the partner. Participants in Study 2 reported on these variables in their most recently terminated relationship. Overall, we found the highest frequencies of commitment and communication in CRs; BCs/FBs and other similar CSRs had the lowest. FWBs often fell between the other two categories. Satisfaction did not differ reliably across relationship types. A serial mediational analysis revealed that the more a relationship was considered to be a CR, the more partners communicated, which was associated with more satisfaction and, in turn, commitment. Our findings highlight the distinctions between expectations within FWB relationships, compared to other relationships types, suggesting that they fall somewhere between CRs and other CSRs on commitment and relational expectations. In addition, the results support the idea that individuals intentionally regulate their communication to maintain the expected level of commitment within a relationship.
The effects of Internet-based exercise compared with supervised group exercise in people with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled study
Authors: Akinci Buket , Yeldan Ipek , Satman Ilhan , Dirican Ahmet , Ozdincler Arzu Razak
Published: February 2018

Objectives:

To compare the effects of Internet-based exercise on glycaemic control, blood lipids, body composition, physical activity level, functional capacity, and quality of life with supervised group exercise in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Design:

Single-blind, randomized controlled study.

Setting:

A Faculty of Health Sciences.

Subjects:

A total of 65 patients with type 2 diabetes (47 women, 18 men).

Intervention:

Group A ( n = 22), control group – physical activity counselling once with a brochure. Group B ( n = 22), supervised group-based exercise, three days per week for eight weeks. Group C ( n = 21), Internet-based exercise following the same programme via a website.

Main measures:

Primary outcomes – glycosylated haemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, high-density and low-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, and cholesterol. Secondary outcomes – waist and hip circumferences, body mass index, number of steps, six-minute walking test, and Euro-Quality of Life-5 Dimension.

Results:

After treatment, glycaemic control (mean change for Group B; Group C; –0.80%, –0.91%, P = 0.003), waist circumference (–4.23 cm, 5.64 cm, P = 0.006), and quality of life (0.26, 0.15, P = 0.013) significantly improved in both training groups compared with the control group. Fasting blood glucose (–46.86 mg/dL, P = 0.009) and hip circumference (–2.7 cm, P = 0.011) were significantly decreased in Group B and total cholesterol (–16.4 mg/dL, P = 0.028), six-minute walking distance (30.5 m, P = 0.01), and number of steps (1258.05, P = 0.023) significantly improved in Group C compared with control group. Group B and Group C changed with equal magnitude.

Conclusion:

In type 2 diabetes, supervised group-based and Internet-based exercise can improve equally glycaemic control, waist circumference, and quality of life, and both are better than simply counselling.
Predictive Factors of Hamstring Tendon Regeneration and Functional Recovery After Harvesting: A Prospective Follow-up Study
Authors: Suijkerbuijk Mathijs A.M. , Reijman Max , Oei Edwin H.G. , van Meer Belle L. , van Arkel Ewoud R.A. , Meuffels Duncan E.
Published: February 2018

Background:

Semitendinosus and gracilis tendons may regenerate after harvesting for ligament reconstruction procedures. However, predictive factors of tendon regeneration and the extent of functional recovery remain unclear.

Purpose:

To identify predictive factors for hamstring tendon regeneration and to examine the morbidity of nonregenerated hamstring tendons.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Of the 154 patients who were included in a prospective follow-up study, 79 underwent reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament entailing the hamstring tendons and met the following inclusion criteria: (1) anterior cruciate ligament rupture diagnosed by physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), (2) MRI within 6 months after trauma, (3) age between 18 and 45 years, and (4) 2-year follow-up MRI data available. Hamstring tendon regeneration was assessed as complete if a tendon-like structure could be visualized at the level of the joint line or more cranially. Patient characteristics—such as age, sex, body mass index, alcohol/nicotine use, activity level (Tegner scores), and functional instability (1-legged hop test)—were evaluated preoperatively and at 2 years to determine predictive factors for tendon regeneration or examine functional recovery of hamstring tendon regeneration.

Results:

At 2 years’ follow-up, 67.1% of the patients showed regeneration of semitendinosus tendons, 81.0% of gracilis tendons, and 59.5% of both tendons. The likelihood of semitendinosus tendon regeneration significantly decreased with aging (odds ratio [OR], 0.92 change per year of age; 95% CI, 0.84-0.99; P = .03) and smoking (OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.05-0.77; P = .02). No predictive factor was found for gracilis tendon regeneration. Regeneration of the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons was negatively related with smoking (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.06-0.79; P = .02). Patients without regeneration showed similar postoperative visual analog scale scores during physical activity, similar Tegner scores, and a significant decrease of the upper leg circumference, as compared with their preoperative results. Regardless of the regeneration status, 1-legged hop test results significantly increased at 2-year follow-up.

Conclusion:

Hamstring tendon regeneration occurs less frequently in older patients and in smokers. However, absence of regenerated tendons does not seem to cause a loss of function.
More dialectical than the dialectic: Exemplarity in Theodor W. Adorno’s The Essay as Form
Authors: Kray Thorn-R
Published: February 2018

This essay presents a careful interpretation of Adorno’s classical text The Essay as Form, published in 1958 as the introduction to his Notes on Literature. Since it thickly condenses many of Adorno’s general views, the Essay poses great hermeneutic challenges to readers. The paper, first, elaborates on the essay more broadly as a genre and identifies a spectrum between science and art each individual essay draws from to forge its particular hybridity. Second, the example is discussed as an epistemologically potent trope oscillating between subsumption and singularity. This internal tension renders the example particularly qualified to serve as the conceptual basis on which interpretative themes in the essay can be discovered. Three lines of interpretation are suggested: (a) poetological for the essay/ Essay’s definition, goal, and method; (b) critical/dialectical for its treatment of concepts and in relation to content; and (c) epistemic for the modern separation of art and science. The conclusion comes back to the issue of exemplarity.
Conflicts in common(s)? Radical democracy and the governance of the commons
Authors: Deleixhe Martin
Published: February 2018

Prominent radical democrats have in recent times shown a vivid interest in the commons. Ever since the publication of Governing the Commons by Elinor Ostrom, the commons have been associated with a self-governing and self-sustaining scheme of production and burdened with the responsibility of carving out an autonomous social space independent from both the markets and the state. Since the commons prove on a small empirical scale that self-governance, far from being a utopian ideal, is and long has been a lived reality, a few authors have attempted to turn them into the conceptual matrix of their own account of radical democracy. Negri and Hardt, on one hand, Laval and Dardot, on the other, have jointly coined the term ‘the common’ (in the singular) to suggest that the self-governance quintessential to the commons could be turned into a general democratic principle. Though this is an attractive theoretical prospect, I will contend that it fails to account for an important contradiction between the two theoretical frameworks it connects. Whereas the governance of the commons depends on harmonious cooperation between all stakeholders which in turn relies on a strong sense of belonging to a shared community, radical democracy is highly suspicious of any attempt to build a totalizing community and constantly emphasizes the decisive role of internal agonistic conflicts in maintaining a vibrant pluralism. I will further contend that the short-sightedness of radical democrats on this issue may be partially explained by the strong emphasis in the commons literature on a related but distinct conflict, that which opposes the commoners to the movement of enclosures. I will argue, however, that this conflict is not of an agonistic nature and does little to preserve the dynamism and the constant self-criticism proper to the radical democrat regime.
Evil as a social action
Authors: Nakamura Yuki
Published: February 2018

This paper explores how to theoretically transcend the division that exists between nonautonomous and autonomous evil. Evil in the context of this paper is a social action that harms others against their will. Traditional social theory has explained the evil in modernity as a pathology or as the result of the organizational and bureaucratic structures of society that was beyond the agency of individuals. The concepts of nonautonomous and autonomous evil developed by John Kekes are used to clarify the types of evil as a social action. It follows that structural processes that entail agency can also be applied to unify the different approaches given to evil and fill the misleading gap that exists between nonautonomous and autonomous evil. Regardless of the event or the perpetrator, evil is agency-driven and is always composed of both nonautonomous and autonomous evil. What differs is the degree of nonautonomous or autonomous evil in the social action. It shows that evil is an important part of agency regardless of the agent’s awareness of the evil that actions entail within modernity, and it is therefore the task of social theory to shed light on its social processes.
Methods for determining the methane generation potential and methane generation rate constant for the FOD model: a review
Authors: Park Jin-Kyu , Chong Yong-Gil , Tameda Kazuo , Lee Nam-Hoon
Published: February 2018

In the first order decay (FOD) model of landfill methane generation, the methane generation potential ( L0) and methane generation rate constant ( k) for both bulk municipal solid waste (MSW) and individual waste components have been determined by a variety of approaches throughout various literature. Differences in the determination methods for L0 and k are related to differences in our understanding of the waste decomposition dynamics. A thorough understanding of the various available methods for determining L0 and k values is critical for comparative study and the drawing of valid conclusions. The aim of this paper is to review the literature on the available determining methods and the ranges for L0 and k values of both bulk MSW and individual waste components, while focusing on understanding the decomposition of waste, including the role of lignin. L0 estimates in the literature are highly variable and have been derived from theoretical stoichiometric calculations, laboratory experiments, or actual field measurements. The lignin concentration in waste is correlated with the fraction of total degradable organic carbon (DOCf) that will actually anaerobically degrade in the landfill. The k value has been determined by precipitation rates, laboratory simulations, aged-defined waste sample, and model fitting or regression analysis using actual gas data. However, the lignin concentration does not correlate well with the k value, presumably due to the impact of lignin arrangement and structure on cellulose bioavailability and degradation rate. In sum, this review summarizes the literature on the measurement of L0 and k values, including the dynamics and decomposition of bulk MSW and individual waste components within landfills.
In vivo effects of intravenous lipid emulsion on lung tissue in an experimental model of acute malathion intoxication
Authors: Uysal Murat , Karaman Serhat
Published: February 2018

Malathion can be ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin, but acute toxicity is maximized when administered orally. Intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE) treatment is used as a new therapeutic method in cases of systemic toxicity caused by some lipid soluble agents. This study aimed to examine the potential treatment effect of ILE on rat lung tissue in a toxicokinetic model of malathion exposure. Twenty-one adult Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three equal groups. The groups were organized as group I (control), group II (malathion), and group III (malathion + ILE treatment). Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were evaluated in lung tissues. Immunohistochemical and Western blot analyses were performed to determine the bax, bcl-2, and caspase-3 expression levels. Tissue GSH-Px and SOD activities were decreased and MDA levels were increased in the malathion group. ILE administration increased GSH-Px and SOD activity and decreased MDA levels compared to the malathion group. Furthermore, expression of bax, bcl-2, and caspase-3 significantly increased in the malathion group, and ILE infusion reduced these expression levels. The present study revealed that acute oral malathion administration increased oxidative stress and apoptosis in the lung tissue of rats. ILE infusion prevented oxidative stress and decreased the deleterious effects of malathion. Taken together, the findings of our study suggest that lipid emulsion infusion has treatment efficacy on malathion-induced lung toxicity.
Enhanced silver loaded antibacterial titanium implant coating with novel hierarchical effect
Authors: Zhang Yanxian , Dong Chaofang , Yang Sefei , Chiu Te-Wei , Wu Junsheng , Xiao Kui , Huang Yunhua , Li Xiaogang
Published: February 2018

In this study, we present a novel strategy for hierarchical antibacterial implant coating by controlling structural and componential features as regulators of surface bactericidal property. Anodized titanium dioxide nanotubes and self-polymerized polydopamine were both used as preliminary antibacterial agents with a significant positive effect on surface bioactivity. At the same time, the storage capacity of nanotubes and the in situ reduction activity of polydopamine can introduce large amounts of strong attached silver nanoparticles for enhanced stable antibacterial performance. The surface morphology, chemical composition, and hydrophilicity had been thoroughly characterized. The sustained silver release performances were continuously monitored. The successively in vitro inhibition on Staphylococcus aureus growth of titanium dioxide nanotube, polydopamine layer and silver nanoparticles demonstrated the hierarchical antibacterial property of the final silver nanoparticles-incorporated polydopamine-modified titanium dioxide nanotube coating (silver/polydopamine/nanotube). Moreover, the bioactivity investigation indicated the vital role of polydopamine-modified titanium dioxide nanotube coating on preserving healthy osteoblast activity at the implant interface. The unique hierarchical coating for titanium implant may be a promising method to maximize antibacterial capacity and maintain good cellular activity at the same time.
Feeling and smelling psychosis
Authors: Noll Richard
Published: February 2018

Some limitations of ‘category work’ in the history of psychiatry are illustrated via the example of attempts within US alienism and psychiatry since 1889 to identify psychosis and its prodromes. A slowly evolving acceptance of the need for specifiable biological disease concepts, distinct diagnostic categories and defined boundaries of the ‘before and after’ of psychosis among some elite physicians challenged widespread vernacular methods of diagnosis expressed as intuition, feelings or scent as well as local practices of creating novel placeholder terms ‘as needed’ or using question marks to express liminality or confusion. When ‘error of diagnosis’ emerged as a concern circa 1909, the professional transformation of this ‘scientific self of subjectivity’ of the psychiatrist into a ‘scientific self of objectivity’ eventually resulted in the turn to numerical judgments based on rating scales for psychotic symptoms. However, rating scales do not ‘count’ anything at all and exist as instruments of liminality between subjective clinical opinion and the affection of objectivity that quantification symbolizes.
The influence of varying input parameters on model validation results
Authors: Götz Gernoth , Polach Oldrich
Published: February 2018

This article presents an evaluation of the model validation method provided as the output of the European research project DynoTRAIN and implemented in the recently revised European standard EN 14363. The input parameters of the validation method are varied, namely the section length, number and selection of sections as well as selected parameters of the simulation models. The evaluation shows that a single section providing a large deviation between simulation and measurement can in rare cases influence the overall validation result. Nevertheless, the investigations demonstrate a good robustness, as the final validation result is very rarely influenced by the variation of sections selected for validation, by the use of a higher number of sections than the minimum of 12 or by longer sections than specified for on-track tests according to EN 14363. The validation methodology is also able to recognise errors in vehicle model parameters, if they have a relevant influence on the running dynamics behaviour of the evaluated vehicle.
A biomechanical model of the human defecatory system to investigate mechanisms of continence
Authors: Stokes William E , Jayne David G , Alazmani Ali , Culmer Peter R
Published: February 2018

This article presents a method to fabricate, measure and control a physical simulation of the human defecatory system to investigate individual and combined effects of anorectal angle and sphincter pressure on continence. To illustrate the capabilities and clinical relevance of the work, the influence of a passive-assistive artificial anal sphincter (FENIXTM) is evaluated. A model rectum and associated soft tissues, based on geometry from an anonymised computed tomography dataset, was fabricated from silicone and showed behavioural realism to the biological system and ex vivo tissue. Simulated stool matter with similar rheological properties to human faeces was developed. Instrumentation and control hardware were used to regulate injection of simulated stool into the system, automate balloon catheter movement through the anal canal, define the anorectal angle and monitor stool flow rate, intra-rectal pressure, anal canal pressure and puborectalis force. Studies were conducted to examine the response of anorectal angles at 80°, 90° and 100° with simulated stool. Tests were then repeated with the inclusion of a FENIX device. Stool leakage was reduced as the anorectal angle became more acute. Conversely, intra-rectal pressure increased. Overall inclusion of the FENIX reduced faecal leakage, while combined effects of the FENIX and an acute anorectal angle showed the greatest resistance to faecal leakage. These data demonstrate that the anorectal angle and sphincter pressure are fundamental in maintaining continence. Furthermore, it demonstrates that use of the FENIX can increase resistance to faecal leakage and reduce anorectal angles required to maintain continence. Physical simulation of the defecatory system is an insightful tool to better understand, in a quantitative manner, the effects of the anorectal angle and sphincter pressure on continence. This work is valuable in helping improve our understanding of the physical behaviour of the continence mechanism and facilitating improved technologies to treat severe faecal incontinence.
‘We don’t want any immigrants or terrorists here’: The linguistic manufacturing of xenophobia in the post-2015 Poland
Authors: Cap Piotr
Published: February 2018

This article explores the discursive patterns of legitimization of anti-immigration policies adopted by the Polish right-wing government which has been ruling the country since October 2015. It argues that legitimization of anti-immigration policies is essentially threat-based and coercive, involving a specific selection of rhetorical tools deployed to characterize different immigrant groups and individual immigrants from mainly Middle East and East African territories. Construed as ‘different’, ‘alien’ and ‘unbelonging’, in a whole lot of cultural, ideological and religious terms, they are claimed to pose an emerging threat to the safety of Poland and the personal safety and well-being of Polish citizens. The article draws on discourse space models and Proximization Theory in particular, revealing how the concepts of closeness and remoteness are manipulated in the service of threat construction and the sanctioning of tough anti-immigration measures, such as the refusal to accept non-Christian refugees from war territories in Syria. It demonstrates how Poland’s government manufactures and discursively perpetuates the aura of fear by conflating the issue of refugee migration into Europe with the problem of global terrorism, and how virtual threats to Polish cultural legacy and values are conceived to justify the government’s opposition to the idea of the multiethnic and multicultural state in general.
Tweeting rape culture: Examining portrayals of victim blaming in discussions of sexual assault cases on Twitter
Authors: Stubbs-Richardson Megan , Rader Nicole E , Cosby Arthur G
Published: February 2018

Social media has become an important aspect of contemporary culture and cultural change; it has accordingly become a valuable resource for informing feminist theory. Social media is a digitized social reality that lends itself to analysis and research. This study examines rape culture in the widely used social media platform, Twitter. We collected tweets from four days surrounding the Torrington and Steubenville Rape Trials and the Rehtaeh Parson’s story of rape, victimization, and suicide. Using qualitative content analysis, we identified three themes related to rape culture: (1) the virgin–whore binary and the just world, (2) sharing information on the sexual assault cases as subnews, and (3) rape myth debunking to support victims. Additional analysis indicated that Twitter users who engaged in victim blaming were more likely to be retweeted and have more followers than Twitter users who engaged in tweeting victim support content. The research demonstrates that rape culture is an aspect of social media and that data about rape culture can be readily accessed and studied. It also suggests that in future research, social media can be used to study how individuals and groups who are exhibiting rape culture interact with others who are engaged in victim support.
A case for identifying smoking in presentations to the emergency department with suicidality
Authors: Wilhelm Kay , Handley Tonelle , Reddy Prasuna
Published: February 2018

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to identify mental health and lifestyle factors predicting smoking among people at high risk of suicidal behaviour.

Methods:

Participants ( n = 363) completed self-report mental health and lifestyle measures at first appointment in a hospital clinic following presentation to the emergency department for deliberate self-harm or suicidal ideation.

Results:

The rate of daily smoking in this group, 61.4%, is more than four times the rate observed in the general population. Those with a history of previous deliberate self-harm were twice as likely to be smokers. Each one-point increase in poor health behaviours increased the odds of smoking by 22%.

Conclusions:

Identifying and managing smoking and related lifestyle behaviours are important considerations in routine clinical assessments.
Integrative Complexity, Participation, and Agreement in Group Discussions
Authors: Van Swol Lyn M. , Carlson-Hill Cassandra L. , Acosta Lewis Emily Elizabeth
Published: February 2018

This study tested status-contingency theory and conversion theory on a task in which members made ordered judgments instead of dichotomous judgments. In groups, participants discussed whether “under God” should be in the pledge of allegiance and reached consensus on an ordered scale. Members’ contributions were scored for integrative complexity. In groups with more dispersion of opinion, members with opinions less discrepant from other group members did not have higher integrative complexity than members with more discrepancy of opinion, failing to support status-contingency theory for nondichotomous decisions. In support of conversion theory, members with more discrepant opinions were more influential when they had higher integrative complexity in their arguments. Replicating past research, groups with longer discussions had higher integrative complexity.
Restructuring of a Textile Manufacturing Company and Workers’ Health
Authors: Draksler Katja , Dernovšček Hafner Nataša , Arnerić Niko , Dodič Fikfak Metoda
Published: February 2018

Organizational restructuring is associated with greater mortality and morbidity of the workers affected by it. We examined the quality of workers’ health at a textile manufacturing company after restructuring, comparing three groups of workers: workers who remained (survivors), workers who lost their jobs and later found new jobs (the reemployed), and unemployed workers. A total of 1046 workers participated in a telephonic survey. The data were processed using SPSS and the R package version 1.2 of prLogistic. The differences between groups were calculated using the chi-square test and adjusted prevalence ratios. The comparison between the three groups shows significantly poorer mental health of the unemployed, who more often than survivors and the reemployed reported depression, as well as significant differences in elevated blood pressure, cholesterol level, and cardiac disorders. The reemployed, who were nonetheless in better health compared to the unemployed, reported poor mental health or depression more often in comparison to survivors. Higher morbidity of the unemployed and reemployed could be influenced by numerous factors associated with restructuring.
An Alternative View of Self-Discharge Against Medical Advice: An Opportunity to Demonstrate Empathy, Empowerment, and Care
Authors: Machin Laura L. , Goodwin Dawn , Warriner David
Published: February 2018

In this article, we present the experiences of discharging against medical advice from the perspectives of 17 hospital and community-based health care practitioners, and 16 patients, and relatives from a range of medical and surgical wards. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted and thematically analyzed. We identified that practitioners, patients, and relatives frequently expressed empathy for each other during the interviews, and discharge against medical advice was presented as a way for patients to have control over their health. Contrary to predominantly negative framings that highlight increased mortality and morbidity, and portray people who discharge against medical advice as poor decision makers, we conclude discharge against medical advice can be framed positively. It can be an opportunity to empathize, empower, and care. We recommend that the vocabulary used in hospital discharge against medical advice policies and documents should be updated to reflect a culture of medicine that values patient autonomy, patient centeredness, and shared decision making.
Retrospective Review of a Prothrombin Complex Concentrate (Beriplex P/N) for the Management of Perioperative Bleeding Unrelated to Oral Anticoagulation
Authors: Chowdary Pratima , Tang Augustine , Watson Dale , Besser Martin , Collins Peter , Creagh Michael Desmond , Qureshi Hafiz , Rokicka Margaret , Nokes Tim , Diprose Paul , Gill Ravi
Published: February 2018

A multicenter, retrospective, observational study of 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) and/or fresh frozen plasma (FFP) use within routine clinical care unrelated to vitamin K antagonists was conducted. The PCC was administered preprocedure for correction of coagulopathy (prophylactic cohort) and treatment of bleeding postsurgery (treatment cohort). Of the 445 patients included, 40 were in the prophylactic cohort (PCC alone [n = 16], PCC and FFP [n = 5], FFP alone [n = 19]) and 405 were in the treatment cohort (PCC alone [n = 228], PCC and FFP [n = 123], FFP alone [n = 54]). Cardiovascular surgery was the most common setting. PCC doses ranged between 500 and 5000 IU. Effectiveness (assessed retrospectively) was reported as effective in 93.0% in the PCC-only group (95% confidence interval, 89.1% to 95.9%), 78.9% (70.8% to 85.6%) with PCC and FFP, and 86.3% (76.2% to 93.2%) with FFP alone. In the treatment cohort, international normalized ratio was significantly reduced in all 3 groups. In patients who received PCC, the rate of thromboembolic events (1.9%) was below rates in the literature for similar procedures. PCCs offer a potential alternative to FFP in the management of perioperative bleeding unrelated to oral anticoagulant therapy.
What makes decision-making difficult for oncologists faced with critical situations? The socio-affective side of the physician–patient relationship
Authors: Restivo Léa , Julian-Reynier Claire , Peyla Laura , Apostolidis Thémis
Published: February 2018

The aim of this qualitative study based on a Social Representations approach was to explore experienced oncologists’ representations of difficult decision-making situations. In total, 22 semi-structured interviews with oncologists were conducted and analysed by performing a thematic content analysis. The thematic content analysis brought to light the main medical problem involved such as uncertainty, the lethal nature of cancer and physicians’ specialties, as well as the psychosocial ones, such as patients’ non-medical characteristics and the patient–physician relationships. This analysis also showed the painful tensions experienced by specialists in the context of decision-making situations when the medical arguments conflict with the psychosocial ones. These findings suggest that in order to understand more clearly the complex processes involved in difficult medical decision-making situations, studies on physicians’ expertise should include the socio-affective climate involved in each patient–physician relationship.
Development of a brief version of the Autism Detection in Early Childhood
Authors: Nah Yong-Hwee , Young Robyn L , Brewer Neil
Published: February 2018

While autism spectrum disorder screening tools provide a useful resource for practitioners, the reality is they are underused. The justifications often provided include the time required for administration and the training involved. A brief tool with good psychometric properties that require minimal training is required. This study examined the development and the psychometric properties of a brief version of the Autism Detection in Early Childhood. The data showed the potential of the brief version of Autism Detection in Early Childhood for screening children age 12–36 months. Our dataset comprised 106 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition autism spectrum disorder, 86 non-typical development and 78 typical development participants age 12–36 months. Analyses comparing autism spectrum disorder and non-typical development groups supported the use of five critical items (i.e. response to name, social smiling, gaze switch, response to verbal command and use of gestures) to form the brief version Autism Detection in Early Childhood. The brief version of Autism Detection in Early Childhood’s optimal cutoff score of 4 had sensitivity of 0.81, specificity of 0.78, positive predictive value of 0.81 and negative predictive value of 0.78. However, the results would need to be viewed as preliminary given the nature of the study sample and the findings might not be generalisable to samples with higher levels of cognitive functioning.
‘In Sweden, girls are allowed to kiss girls, and boys are allowed to kiss boys’: Pride Järva and the inclusion of the ‘LGBT other’ in Swedish nationalist discourses
Authors: Kehl Katharina
Published: February 2018

This article discusses Pride Järva, a ‘gay pride’ march organised by right-wing publicist Jan Sjunnesson in Stockholm’s northern suburbs. Analysing the event, and in particular a speech made by Sjunnesson during the parade in July 2016, I argue that it is indicative of the specific ways in which right-wing actors in Europe increasingly enlist LGBT rights in nationalist, xenophobic and racist projects of exclusion. As markers of tolerant and progressive ‘Europeanness’, they are used to construct and reproduce dangerous racialised and Islamic others along lines of sexuality and gender, a narrative that resonates with established notions of Swedish gender exceptionalism as well as homonationalist-orientalist narratives of threat and protection. Despite their history of actively opposing the expansion of LGBT rights, Sjunnesson and his political associates combine these narratives with a conceptualisation of LGBT issues as private and depoliticised to produce themselves as the ‘true’ protectors of LGBT rights in Sweden.