bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Costs of psychosis in 2010: Findings from the second Australian National Survey of Psychosis
Authors: Neil Amanda L , Carr Vaughan J , Mihalopoulos Cathrine , Mackinnon Andrew , Morgan Vera A
Published: October 2013

Objectives:

To estimate the annual costs of psychosis in Australia from societal and government perspectives and assess whether average costs per person differ by principal service provider at time of census.

Methods:

Costs of psychosis encompassing health sector costs, other sector costs, and productivity losses were assessed for 2010 using a prevalence-based, bottom-up approach. Resource use data were obtained from the second Australian National Survey of Psychosis and unit costs were from government and non-government organization (NGO) sources. Costs to society were assessed by principal service provider at census: public specialized mental health services (PSMHS) and NGOs during the census month (current clients), and PSMHS in the 11 months preceding census (recent clients), and any differences were ascertained.

Results:

The average annual costs of psychosis to society are estimated at $77,297 per affected individual, comprising $40,941 in lost productivity, $21,714 in health sector costs, and $14,642 in other sector costs. Health sector costs are 3.9-times higher than those for the average Australian. Psychosis costs Australian society $4.91 billion per annum, and the Australian government almost $3.52 billion per annum. There are significant differences between principal service providers for each cost category. Current PSMHS clients had the highest health sector costs overall, and the highest mental health ambulatory, inpatient, and antipsychotic medication costs specifically. NGO clients had the highest other sector costs overall and the highest NGO assistance, supported employment, and supported accommodation costs. Recent PSMHS clients had the lowest productivity losses for reduced participation and the highest costs for absenteeism and presenteeism.

Conclusions:

The costs of psychosis are broad ranging and very high. Development and implementation of cost-effective prevention, treatment, and support strategies is critical to maximizing the efficiency of service delivery. A needs-based framework based on principal service provider and recency of contact may facilitate this process.
Understanding Death beyond Religion in the Thought of John Shelby Spong
Authors: Simuţ Corneliu C.
Published: October 2013

The liberal Episcopal bishop of Newark (New Jersey), John Shelby Spong (b. 1931), is convinced that religion cannot be seen as a proper tool to discuss the issues of human existence and neither is it an adequate instrument to fathom the reality of death as part of man’s being in the world. Thus, his thought is an attempt to move beyond theology into some sort of secular thinking which avoids theology in particular and religion in general. Such convictions stem from his belief that man’s most fundamental attitude to death—which is characterized by fear—is the result of religion, because to this very age death has been shaped by various religious views. Consequently, in order for man to regain a natural approach to death as part of his own existence, he must put aside religious persuasions and, in doing so, adopt a perspective that allows him to embrace death fearlessly. Religion cannot simply be erased, which means that it has to be studied in order for man to move beyond it; having done so, man should be able to elevate himself above religion which offers him the chance to seek the truth within his own humanity. The externality of religion, therefore, should be excluded from man’s quest for meaning; when this happens, death becomes internal, inherent to man’s most intimate existence and also the most fundamental aspect of truth. In other words, traditional religion must turn itself into some sort of lay (specifically secular) philosophy which only retains religious language and imagery to explain that religion is not needed for man’s contemporary approach to death. Fear of death can be dealt with successfully if aging and death are seen in the light of meaningful relationships which are able to transform the finitude of life in the eternity of existence as reflected in the memories of those who survive the deceased.
Sacrosanctum Concilium: Fifty Years On
Authors: Paton Ian
Published: October 2013

Modern liturgy in all churches has been influenced by the Vatican II document, Sacrosanctum Concilium, which is fifty years old in December 2013. Many regard these changes as positive, but they have also received criticism not only from conservative forces within the Catholic Chuch who seek to return to earlier values in liturgy, but also from those who see them as products of a particular time and generation within Western Christianity, not relevant to postmodern culture. Although the context and worshipping needs of the contemporary Church may be very different from those of 1963, there are still lessons to be learned from that document and the Liturgical Movement that gave rise to it, as Christians draw on the liturgical tradition to develop new forms of worship in twenty-first century Britain.
An ‘emerging challenge’: The employment practices of a Brazilian multinational company in Canada
Authors: Aguzzoli Roberta , Geary John
Published: October 2013

Although the literature in international human resource management has developed greatly over recent years, our understanding of the dynamics of the transfer of HR practices in multinational companies (MNCs) from emerging economies with subsidiaries in advanced economies is found wanting. This study addresses this gap in our knowledge by investigating the transfer of employment policies of a Brazilian MNC to its Canadian subsidiaries. It examines interrelated questions about the influence of an emerging-economy parent-business system and how this interacts with the well-developed institutional regulation of the host country in a context of complex relations of dependence and dominance. Our prior expectation that the MNC would have had to adapt its policies to the ‘Canadian way’ was not borne out by the evidence. Instead the Brazilian MNC was found to be adept at capturing significant components of the host country’s institutional setting in a manner that gave it the space to determine the ‘rules’ for its own advantage. That it was able to do so was, in large part, shaped by the market context of the firm and by Canada’s dependence on foreign investment and, in turn, by the political relations of dependence that such reliance engendered. Broader lessons from the case analysis are offered.
The international intervention in Mali: “Desert blues” or a new beginning?
Authors: Bøås Morten , Torheim Liv E
Published: October 2013

Islamist rebels have retreated from northern Mali; however, a number of challenges for that country remain. The Islamists have gone into hiding but have not surrendered; there is a clear risk of long-term asymmetric warfare. The populations in both northern and southern Mali are divided in their views on the best way forward. The capacities of the Malian government and the Malian armed forces to contain the conflict and retain credible leadership are questionable. This article analyses the Malian crisis with an emphasis on the strategies of key actors, including the Islamist rebels. The consequences of and responses to the conflict are discussed, before the article ends with some tentative conclusions concerning the potential for security in Mali and the Sahel region.
Predictors of insight in first-episode schizophrenia: A 5-year cohort study from India
Authors: Johnson Shanthi , Sathyaseelan Manoranjitham , Charles Helen , Jeyaseelan Visalakshi , Jacob Kuruthukulangara S
Published: October 2013

Background and aims:

There is a dearth of data on the predictors of insight in schizophrenia. This study attempted to assess the predictors of insight in a cohort of first-episode schizophrenia followed up over 5 years.

Methods:

Patients diagnosed to have Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) schizophrenia ( n = 131) were assessed prospectively for insight, psychopathology and explanatory models of illness over a 5-year period using standard instruments. Multiple linear regression and generalized estimating equations (GEE) were employed to assess predictors of insight.

Results:

We could follow up 95 (72.5%) patients, 5 years after recruitment. A total of 65 of these patients interviewed at 60 months (68.4%) achieved remission. Cross-sectional evaluations suggest a relationship between insight, psychosis rating and explanatory models of illness with good insight and medical models associated with good outcome. However, baseline and early illness data do not predict insight scores at 5 years. Serial longitudinal assessment of insight is negatively associated with Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores and positively associated with the number of nonmedical explanatory models of illness held by patients.

Conclusion:

These findings argue that insight and explanatory models of illness are secondary to psychopathology, course and outcome. They are dependent on the trajectory of the person’s illness, are not independent of the condition and call for multifaceted understanding of the issues.
Micronutrients and Oral Clefts
Authors: McKinney C.M. , Chowchuen B. , Pitiphat W. , DeRouen T. , Pisek A. , Godfrey K.
Published: October 2013

Little is known about oral clefts in developing countries. We aimed to identify micronutrient-related and environmental risk factors for oral clefts in Thailand. We tested hypotheses that maternal exposure during the periconceptional period to multivitamins or liver consumption would decrease cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL ± P) risk and that menstrual regulation supplements would increase CL ± P risk. We conducted a multisite hospital-based case-control study in Thailand. We enrolled cases with CL ± P and 2 live births as controls at birth from the same hospital. Mothers completed a questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Eighty-six cases and 172 controls were enrolled. Mothers who took a vitamin (adjusted OR, 0.39; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.94) or ate liver (adjusted OR, 0.26; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.57) were less likely than those who did not to have an affected child. Mothers who took a menstrual regulation supplement were more likely than mothers who did not to have an affected child. Findings did not differ for infants with a family history of other anomalies or with isolated CL ± P. If replicated, our finding that liver decreases CL ± P risk could offer a low-cost primary prevention strategy.
Comparison of the Use of Adipose Tissue–Derived and Bone Marrow–Derived Stem Cells for Rapid Bone Regeneration
Authors: Zhang W. , Zhang X. , Wang S. , Xu L. , Zhang M. , Wang G. , Jin Y. , Zhang X. , Jiang X.
Published: October 2013

Stem cell–based bone tissue engineering has been recognized as a new strategy for maxillary sinus floor elevation. More rapid bone formation may enhance this technique when simultaneous dental implant placement is desired. Adipose tissue–derived stem cells (ADSCs) and bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) are the most well-characterized cell sources for bone regeneration, but comparative studies on the osteogenic potential of these cells have yielded conflicting conclusions. This study aimed to compare the rapid bone formation capacity of ADSCs and BMSCs in a canine sinus floor augmentation model. In in vitro studies, BMSCs had a higher proliferative ability and greater osteogenic differentiation potential at both the mRNA and protein levels. When GFP-labeled cells on calcium phosphate cement (CPC) scaffolds were implanted subcutaneously into nude mice, both ADSCs and BMSCs survived for 4 wks, but only BMSCs formed new bone. Furthermore, according to sequential fluorescence labeling results for the canine sinus, BMSCs promoted rapid and greater bone regeneration during the entire observation period. In contrast, obvious mineralization was detected starting from 3 wks after implantation in the ADSC group. These results suggest that BMSCs might be more useful than ADSCs for rapid bone regeneration for sinus augmentation with simultaneous implant placement.
Translational Genetics
Authors: D’Souza R.N. , Dunnwald M. , Frazier-Bowers S. , Polverini P.J. , Wright J.T. , de Rouen T. , Vieira A.R.
Published: October 2013

Scientific opportunities have never been better than today! The completion of the Human Genome project has sparked hope and optimism that cures for debilitating conditions can be achieved and tailored to individuals and communities. The availability of reference genome sequences and genetic variations as well as more precise correlations between genotype and phenotype have facilitated the progress made in finding solutions to clinical problems. While certain craniofacial and oral diseases previously deemed too difficult to tackle have benefited from basic science and technological advances over the past decade, there remains a critical need to translate the fruits of several decades’ worth of basic and clinical research into tangible therapies that can benefit patients. The fifth Annual Fall Focused Symposium, “Translational Genetics – Advancing Fronts for Craniofacial Health”, was created by the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) to foster its mission to advance interdisciplinary research that is directed toward improving oral health. The symposium showcased progress made in identifying molecular targets that are potential therapeutics for common and rare dental diseases and craniofacial disorders. Speakers focused on translational and clinical applications of their research and, where applicable, on strategies for new technologies and therapeutics. The critical needs to transfer new knowledge to the classroom and for further investment in the field were also emphasized. The symposium underscored the importance of basic research, chairside clinical observations, and population-based studies in driving the new translational connections needed for the development of cures for the most common and devastating diseases involving the craniofacial complex.
An Empirical Investigation of Viktor Frankl’s Logotherapeutic Model
Authors: Joshi Chetan , Marszalek Jacob M. , Berkel LaVerne A. , Hinshaw Adam B.
Published: October 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate the logotherapeutic model as described by Frankl that explains the relationships among the search for meaning in life, the presence of meaning in life, existential vacuum, existential frustration, noogenic neurosis, will-to-power, and will-to-pleasure. A sample of college students from a large Mid-Atlantic university ( N = 750) completed paper-and-pencil instruments for the variables. Structural equation modeling was used to test and compare four competing alternative models of the relationships among the aforementioned constructs. Two models exhibited excellent fit, one model good fit, and the fourth model poor fit. Of the two best models, one treated will-to-power and will-to-pleasure as outcomes of noogenic neurosis and the other treated them as causes of noogenic neurosis. Limitations, suggestions for future research, and implications for clinical practice are also discussed.
The Effects of Teacher Entry Portals on Student Achievement
Authors: Henry Gary T. , Purtell Kelly M. , Bastian Kevin C. , Fortner C. Kevin , Thompson Charles L. , Campbell Shanyce L. , Patterson Kristina M.
Published: October 2013

The current teacher workforce is younger, less experienced, more likely to turnover, and more diverse in preparation experiences than the workforce of two decades ago. Research shows that inexperienced teachers are less effective, but we know little about the effectiveness of teachers with different types of preparation. In this study, we classify North Carolina public school teachers into portals—fixed and mutually exclusive categories that capture teachers’ formal preparation and qualifications upon first entering the profession—and estimate the adjusted average test score gains of students taught by teachers from each portal. Compared with undergraduate-prepared teachers from in-state public universities, (a) out-of-state undergraduate-prepared teachers are less effective in elementary grades and high school, (b) alternative entry teachers are less effective in high school, and (c) Teach For America corps members are more effective in STEM subjects and secondary grades.
Virtual Uprisings: On the Interaction of New Social Media, Traditional Media Coverage and Urban Space during the ‘Arab Spring’
Authors: AlSayyad Nezar , Guvenc Muna
Published: October 2013

This article analyses the geography of urban uprising during the so-called Arab Spring, with a focus on the relationship between its virtual and physical dimensions. To enhance understanding of contemporary social movements, it pays particular attention to the interwoven relationship between the social media that now organise gatherings and communicate political messages, the practices of protest in urban space and the magnifying power of global and national media. Using case studies from Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen, it analyses the spatial and temporal aspects of recent protests and suggests that the reciprocal interaction between social media, urban space and traditional media does not simply reproduce relations between these actors, but also transforms them incrementally.
Residents’ Attitude to Tourism and Seasonality
Authors: Vargas-Sánchez Alfonso , Porras-Bueno Nuria , de los Ángeles Plaza-Mejía María
Published: October 2013

In this study several extrinsic and intrinsic variables, from different theoretical approaches, have been integrated with the object of building an explanatory model for residents’ attitude toward tourism development. This model is applied to a destination not yet overcrowded but with a high, and increasing, seasonality. Its most notable contribution is in its findings regarding the influence of seasonality on the residents’ attitudes and in the factors impacting on it. These findings show that, in the low season, the effects of tourism, and tourists themselves, are perceived more favorably, leading to a more positive attitude toward further tourism development. Two hypotheses in the proposed model reveal a disparate seasonal behavior: only in the high season does the perception of the level of tourism development determine the net perception of the effects of tourism, and residents’ community attachment exerts a direct and negative influence on their attitude toward tourism.
The New Frontiers of Destination Management
Authors: Beritelli Pietro , Bieger Thomas , Laesser Christian
Published: October 2013

This study challenges the way the research community has approached issues and implemented concepts in the field of destination management. In contrast to previous contributions that deliver a particular framework, this study aims to literally deframe the construct of the destination. To this end, we propose an alternative and dynamic viewpoint for researchers and practitioners that might have evolved decades ago, if the research community had not tried to constrain or reduce the phenomenon of the destination to a comprehensive and inherently static system. We identify the main problems of destination management and attempt to explain the reason for the many failures and shortcomings in practice. Building on an alternative concept, we present its applicability to the case of the currently ongoing reform of the destination management organizations (DMOs) in Switzerland. The study has a conceptual character, although its practical relevance has been proved over the past two years.
Global psychology
Authors: Berry John W
Published: October 2013

The study of psychology has been largely developed in Europe and the United States. It thus has close ties to the cultural traditions of those particular societies. As a result, the discipline and practice of psychology are largely culture-bound, limited in its origins, concepts, and empirical findings to only this small portion of the world. The discipline is also culture-blind, largely ignoring the influence of the role of culture in shaping the development and display of human behaviour. The result has been the dominating position of a Western Academic Scientific Psychology in relation to other cultural perspectives. Challenges to, and some possible solutions for, these problems have come from some recent regional and national conferences. In particular, the Nassau Declaration from the Caribbean Regional Conference of Psychology in 2011 and the Capetown Declaration from the International Congress of Psychology in 2012 have highlighted widespread concern for this continuing imbalance in international psychology. This article draws on concepts and strategies in psychology (particularly cross-cultural and intercultural psychology) to propose some remedies to these problems. It is based on a universalist vision for the discipline; this view asserts that basic psychological processes are common to our human species, while their development and expression are culturally shaped. The eventual goal is to achieve a global psychology that incorporates concepts and findings from societies and cultures from all parts of the world.
Entrepreneurial training for girls empowerment in Lesotho: A process evaluation of a model programme
Authors: O’Neill Berry Mary , Kuriansky Judy , Lytle Megan C , Vistman Bozhena , Mosisili Mathato S , Hlothoane Lieketso , Matlanyane Mapeo , Mokobori Thabang , Mosuhli Silas , Pebane Jane
Published: October 2013

A Girls Empowerment Programme held in 2010 in Lesotho, sub-Saharan Africa, focused on HIV/AIDS risk reduction and prevention, life skills, and entrepreneurial training (income-generating activities). Entrepreneurial training was a crucial part of equipping the camp attendees with basic skills to help them develop sustainable livelihoods. Such skills and financial independence are essential to enable rural girls to complete their secondary schooling (in a fee-based educational system) and to pursue a career, as well as to further help them be less susceptible to transactional sex and its significant risks. The results of a brief process evaluation with some nested supporting data showed considerable improvement in the girls’ knowledge about income-generating activities. In addition, almost half of the camp attendees participated in further entrepreneurial training and about half of these girls went on to develop small businesses. Replication of this model of camp training is recommended and being explored in other African countries.
Latest developments in career counselling in South Africa: towards a positive approach
Authors: Maree Jacobus G
Published: October 2013

Fundamental changes in the workplace across all countries in recent times call for a contemporary response from career counselling theorists and practitioners as well as researchers and clients. An approach is needed that will enable career counsellors to equip clients with the necessary skills to respond to these changes – a positive career counselling approach. The article focuses briefly on global developments in the field and, more particularly, on the role of different economic waves in these developments. It then discusses the main theoretical approaches that have guided the career counselling profession over the past 120 years. It is argued that 20th-century approaches to career counselling no longer adequately serve the needs of 21st century and that a combined quantitative+qualitative approach may be the answer. Next, career construction principles and life designing are discussed – the first-ever ‘true’ career counselling theory – and an explanation of the need for a new approach in South Africa is provided. The article then goes into the contextual influences on career counselling in South Africa and the challenges facing institutions of education and training in this regard. It ends by proposing how career counsellors can exploit change to advance positive career counselling – the ultimate aim of theory and praxis in the field.
South African counselling psychology at the crossroads: lessons to be learned from around the world
Authors: Young Charles
Published: October 2013

Despite a four-decade history, the professional identity of counselling psychology in South Africa remains nebulous. Recent debates surrounding the revised scope of practice for counselling psychology bring the unresolved issue of professional identity back into focus. Rather than developing an idiosyncratic definition of counselling psychology, it is instructive to look at the ways in which the profession is conceptualised internationally. This article analyses the national definitions of counselling psychology in countries in North America, Europe, Australasia, and Asia, where the profession is both formally recognised and established. A thematic analysis reveals two superordinate themes: the different domains of practice that are considered to fall within the ambit of counselling psychology and the values of counselling psychology that are meant to inform this practice. Common domains of practice are development, prevention, and remediation. Prominent values of counselling psychology emphasise strengths, well-being, and the therapeutic relationship, recognise sociocultural and developmental contexts, value diversity and multiculturalism, and promote social justice. While there is an inevitable overlap with other specialities within psychology, counselling psychology is best distinguished not by the clients that are seen but rather by the values that inform practice. Implications for the practice of counselling psychology and mental health service delivery in South Africa are briefly discussed.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing? A missiological examination of the United States evangelical adoption and orphan care movement
Authors: Ryan Sheryl J.
Published: October 2013

The contemporary case of high-profile evangelical groups promoting intercountry adoption in books, conferences, and church ministries in the United States is a situation that requires missiological examination. This article makes an argument for the need for a broadened theological base from which to understand intercountry adoption and orphan care, as well as the need for critical engagement with related knowledge bases in the social sciences. It includes discussion of the difficulties associated with adoption of children as a missionary strategy and making parallel the adoption of children with a believer’s adoption by God. Integration of the biblical theme of power reversal to attain social justice for the oppressed with current adoption literature is used to problematize the theological and practical emphases of the evangelical adoption and orphan care movement, and to inform Christian thought and practices related to child removal and welfare.
Broadening the tent: expanding the strategic use of tent-making in cross-cultural mission
Authors: Malone Kelly
Published: October 2013

Tent-making is often used to gain access to nations that do not allow missionaries. This article provides biblical, missiological, and practical rationale for the use of tent-making in nations which are legally open to missionary work, but culturally closed to the gospel. It begins with consideration of the Pauline use of tent-making as a model for mission, and then takes into account financial considerations, the need for training, and the strategic development of tent-making as an international movement.
Forming and restoring community in a nomadic world: A next generation perspective on the future of the discipline of missiology
Authors: Zscheile Dwight
Published: October 2013

The emergence of a 21st-century participatory culture in a globalized world invites us to reimagine missiology in light of a participatory triune God who forms and restores community amidst difference and otherness. It pushes us toward the local, where we reclaim the centrality of local Christian communities and their ordinary disciples as primary missionary organizations and personnel. The American context must be recognized as a major 21st-century mission field requiring intentional engagement with a diversity of cultures. These realities call for new patterns of giving, receiving, learning, and innovation as missiology accompanies local churches witnessing to and seeking to form community with their neighbors.
A living god, a living word: Christian and Muslim revelation in perspective
Authors: Hitchcock Christina
Published: October 2013

Recent discussion concerning the relationship between the god of Islam and the god of Christianity prompted this article, which explores that relationship by looking at the nature of revelation in each religion and how that revelation reflects the nature of each god. This exploration indicates that these gods are not one and the same, because while the revelation found in the Qur’an is transcendent and static, revealing a god who is the same, the revelation found in Jesus Christ is both immanent and living, as is Jesus himself. The effect this has on preaching and missions is discussed in the conclusion.
Assessment and Management of Risk for Intimate Partner Violence by Police Officers Using the Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk
Authors: Storey Jennifer E. , Kropp P. Randall , Hart Stephen D. , Belfrage Henrik , Strand Susanne
Published: October 2013

The management of intimate partner violence (IPV) typically falls to police. For assistance, officers are increasingly using violence risk assessment tools like the Brief Spousal Assault Form for the Evaluation of Risk (B-SAFER). This study replicates the methodology of Belfrage et al. but examines the B-SAFER as used by Swedish police officers when assessing and managing IPV. Results revealed a positive relationship between risk and management. Total scores and overall risk ratings predicted recidivism (AUC [Area under the curve] = .70 and .69, respectively). Finally, a pattern where management recommendations were associated with decreased recidivism in high risk perpetrators but increased recidivism in low risk perpetrators was found. Results validate the use of the B-SAFER by police and reveal mostly comparable findings between the B-SAFER and the Spousal Assault Risk Assessment Guide, as examined by Belfrage et al., but suggest that the B-SAFER may be better suited for police.
The role of explicit contrast in adjective acquisition: A cross-linguistic longitudinal study of adjective production in spontaneous child speech and parental input
Authors: Tribushinina Elena , van den Bergh Huub , Kilani-Schoch Marianne , Aksu-Koç Ayhan , Dabašinskienė Ineta , Hrzica Gordana , Korecky-Kröll Katharina , Noccetti Sabrina , Dressler Wolfgang
Published: October 2013

Experimental studies demonstrate that contrast helps toddlers to extend the meanings of novel adjectives. This study explores whether antonym co-occurrence in spontaneous speech also has an effect on adjective use by the child. The authors studied adjective production in longitudinal speech samples from 16 children (16–36 months) acquiring eight different languages. Adjectives in child speech and child-directed speech were coded as either unrelated or related to a contrastive term in the preceding context. Results show large differences between children in the growth of adjective production. These differences are strongly related to contrast use. High contrast users not only increase adjective use earlier, but also reach a stable level of adjective production in the investigated period. Average or low contrast users increase their adjective production more slowly and do not reach a plateau in the period covered by this study. Initially there is a strong relation between contrast use in child speech and child-directed speech, but this relation diminishes with age.
Performance, Aspirations, and Market Versus Nonmarket Investment
Authors: Rudy Bruce C. , Johnson Andrew F.
Published: October 2013

Research from the behavioral theory of the firm argues that declining performance below aspiration levels drives firms to engage in problemistic search that results in strategic actions designed to overcome performance shortfalls. This research has considered only strategic actions taken in the firm’s market environment though, such as investments in R&D. Firms operate and take strategic actions in both the market and nonmarket environment, the latter including firm interactions with the government. The research presented here argues that for reasons of risk aversion, firms facing declining performance below aspiration levels are likely to engage in strategic actions in the nonmarket environment immediately following a performance shortfall. In contrast, risk-taking preferences are argued to motivate firms to take strategic actions in the market environment in the future. We find support for these arguments utilizing 27 years of data from large U.S. firms.
Is There a Purchase Limit on Regional Growth? A Quasi-experimental Evaluation of Investment Grants Using Matching Techniques
Authors: Mitze Timo , Paloyo Alfredo R. , Alecke Björn
Published: October 2013

In this article, we apply recent advances in quasi-experimental estimation methods to analyze the effectiveness of Germany’s large-scale regional policy instrument, the joint Federal Government/State Programme “Gemeinschaftsaufgabe Verbesserung der regionalen Wirtschaftsstruktur” (GRW), which is a means to foster labor-productivity growth in lagging regions. In particular, adopting binary and generalized propensity-score matching methods, our results indicate that the GRW can be generally considered effective. However, we find evidence for a nonlinear relationship between GRW funding and regional growth associated with a maximum subsidy level beyond which financial support does not generate further labor-productivity growth. In other words, there is a “purchase limit” on regional growth. Although the matching approach is very appealing due to its methodological rigor and didactical clarity, throughout the empirical application, we faced difficulties in balancing the set of covariates among treated and comparison regions, given that two sets of the regions differ strongly with respect to their underlying structural characteristics. Such imperfect balancing may limit the practical applicability of matching techniques in regional data settings. Overall, however, the matching approach can still be considered of great value for regional policy analysis and should be the subject of future research efforts in the field of empirical regional science.
Calibrating Translational Cancer Research
Authors: Centellas Kate M. , Smardon Regina E. , Fifield Steve
Published: October 2013

Based on an original ethnographic study of a translational cancer research institute in the United States, we propose calibration as a process that makes interdisciplinary collaboration without consensus possible. Calibration refers to ongoing, day-to-day negotiation and alignment of personal identities, disciplinary commitments, and research group customs that occur during face-to-face group deliberations around everyday research concerns. Calibration provides a mechanism that explains how collaboration without consensus is possible. Crucially, it does not presuppose that interdisciplinary collaboration either indicates or causes the blurring or softening of disciplinary boundaries. We argue that at the microsociological level it may be disciplinary robustness, rather than synthesis, that contributes to interdisciplinary innovation.
Large intrathoracic meningocele in a patient with neurofibromatosis type 1
Authors: Zuo Tao , Ni Zhengyi , Zhou Mi , Huang Chaolin , Tang Zhongwen , Yang Zhifeng
Published: October 2013

Intrathoracic meningocele associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 is quite rare. We report the case of a Chinese women with a 20-day history of right-sided chest pain and sense of pressure on the chest. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging indicated a homogeneous thin-walled cystic mass in the right rear mediastinum, ranging from the 1st to 5th thoracic segments. Surgery was performed to removal the meningomyelocele pouches and shunt the cyst to the subarachnoid region.
The contradictory consequences of regulation: The influence of filing abbreviated accounts on UK small company performance
Authors: Kitching John , Kašperová Eva , Collis Jill
Published: October 2013

This article develops the conceptualisation of regulation as a dynamic force, enabling and motivating actions that contribute to small company performance as well as being a burden, cost or constraint. Using interview and survey data from a study of preparers and users of small company abbreviated accounts, the article argues that regulation generates contradictory consequences as both confidentiality and disclosure potentially serve their interests. It presents an analytical framework specifying the mechanisms through which regulation influences performance directly and indirectly. Regulation affects small companies directly by requiring the disclosure of financial information but also, indirectly by influencing important stakeholders – for example, banks, suppliers, customers and others – to provide vital resources such as credit, and market opportunities. Indirect regulatory influences might be only partly visible yet exert a powerful effect on performance.
Incidence of skeletal fractures after traumatic spinal cord injury: a 10-year follow-up study
Authors: Gifre Laia , Vidal Joan , Carrasco Josep , Portell Enric , Puig Josep , Monegal Ana , Guañabens Núria , Peris Pilar
Published: October 2013

Objective:

To analyse the incidence and factors related to the development and clinical evolution of fractures in patients with traumatic spinal cord injury.

Design:

A retrospective 10-year follow-up study.

Setting:

Neurorehabilitation centre.

Subjects:

Sixty-three patients (50M/13F) with a mean age of 36 ± 20 years with recent traumatic spinal cord injury attended over a one-year period (January to December 2000).

Main measures:

Medical reports were reviewed, evaluating risk factors for osteoporosis, fracture incidence during the 10 years following spinal cord injury, severity (ASIA score) and level of spinal cord injury (paraplegia/tetraplegia), type of lesion (spastic/flaccid), weight-bearing standing activity, and the cause, location and evolution of the fracture.

Results:

Of the 129 patients attending during the study period, 75 had traumatic spinal cord injury (7 died and 5 had no follow-up). Finally, 63 patients were included. Fifty-four per cent had complete motor injury (ASIA A). Twenty-five per cent of these patients developed fractures, with 2.9 fractures per 100 patient-years. The femur was the most frequent location of the fractures. Fractures were observed 6.4 ± 2.4 years after spinal cord injury (range 2–10 years), all in males. Most fractures (70%) were related to low-impact injuries. Fifty per cent presented with associated clinical complications and only 20% of the patients had received anti-osteoporotic treatment. Spinal cord injury severity was the only risk factor for the development of fractures (complete spinal cord injury (ASIA A)) (RR 4.043; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.081–23.846, P = 0.037).

Conclusion:

The incidence of fractures after spinal cord injury is high, with severity and time since spinal cord injury being the main determinants for their development. Fractures were frequently associated with clinical complications. However, the use of anti-osteoporotic treatment was uncommon.
Robust loop closing over time for pose graph SLAM
Authors: Latif Yasir , Cadena César , Neira José
Published: October 2013

Long-term autonomous mobile robot operation requires considering place recognition decisions with great caution. A single incorrect decision that is not detected and reconsidered can corrupt the environment model that the robot is trying to build and maintain. This work describes a consensus-based approach to robust place recognition over time, that takes into account all the available information to detect and remove past incorrect loop closures. The main novelties of our work are: (1) the ability of realizing that, in light of new evidence, an incorrect past loop closing decision has been made; the incorrect information can be removed thus recovering the correct estimation with a novel algorithm; (2) extending our proposal to incremental operation; and (3) handling multi-session, spatially related or unrelated scenarios in a unified manner. We demonstrate our proposal, the RRR algorithm, on different odometry systems, e.g. visual or laser, using different front-end loop-closing techniques. For our experiments we use the efficient graph optimization framework g2o as back-end. We back our claims up with several experiments carried out on real data, in single and multi-session experiments showing better results than those obtained by state-of-the-art methods, comparisons against whom are also presented.
Fast damage recovery in robotics with the T-resilience algorithm
Authors: Koos Sylvain , Cully Antoine , Mouret Jean-Baptiste
Published: October 2013

Damage recovery is critical for autonomous robots that need to operate for a long time without assistance. Most current methods are complex and costly because they require anticipating potential damage in order to have a contingency plan ready. As an alternative, we introduce the T-resilience algorithm, a new algorithm that allows robots to quickly and autonomously discover compensatory behavior in unanticipated situations. This algorithm equips the robot with a self-model and discovers new behavior by learning to avoid those that perform differently in the self-model and in reality. Our algorithm thus does not identify the damaged parts but it implicitly searches for efficient behavior that does not use them. We evaluate the T-resilience algorithm on a hexapod robot that needs to adapt to leg removal, broken legs and motor failures; we compare it to stochastic local search, policy gradient and the self-modeling algorithm proposed by Bongard et al. The behavior of the robot is assessed on-board thanks to an RGB-D sensor and a SLAM algorithm. Using only 25 tests on the robot and an overall running time of 20 min, T-resilience consistently leads to substantially better results than the other approaches.
Sex Offenders and Sex Crime Recidivism
Authors: Budd Kristen , Desmond Scott A.
Published: October 2013

The relationship between criminal justice sanctions and sex crime recidivism remains largely unexplored. Therefore, using a sample of 8,461 previously incarcerated male sex offenders from 13 states in the United States, we focus on the sentence meted out for the sex crime conviction and the amount of time sex offenders served as a result of their conviction. Sex offenders were grouped into four categories: rapists, sexual assaulters, child molesters, and all sex offenders combined. Recidivism was operationalized as rearrest and reconviction. Findings suggest how recidivism is operationalized matters. When recidivism is measured as rearrest for another sex offense, sentence length and time served are unrelated to sex crime recidivism. On the other hand, when recidivism is operationalized as reconviction for another sex offense, sentence length is positively related to recidivism for rapists, sexual assaulters, child molesters, and all sex offenders combined, while time served is negatively related to recidivism for child molesters and all sex offenders combined.
Investigation of cadmium pollution in the spruce saplings near the metal production factory
Authors: Hashemi Seyed Armin , Farajpour Ghasem
Published: October 2013

Toxic metals such as lead and cadmium are among the pollutants that are created by the metal production factories and disseminated in the nature. In order to study the quantity of cadmium pollution in the environment of the metal production factories, 50 saplings of the spruce species at the peripheries of the metal production factories were examined and the samples of the leaves, roots, and stems of saplings planted around the factory and the soil of the environment of the factory were studied to investigate pollution with cadmium. They were compared to the soil and saplings of the spruce trees planted outside the factory as observer region. The results showed that the quantity of pollution in the leaves, stems, and roots of the trees planted inside the factory environment were estimated at 1.1, 1.5, and 2.5 mg/kg, respectively, and this indicated a significant difference with the observer region ( p < 0.05). The quantity of cadmium in the soil of the peripheries of the metal production factory was estimated at 6.8 mg/kg in the depth of 0–10 cm beneath the level of the soil. The length of roots in the saplings planted around the factory of metal production stood at 11 and 14.5 cm in the observer region which had a significant difference with the observer region ( p < 0.05). The quantity of soil resources and spruce species’ pollution with cadmium in the region has been influenced by the production processes in the factory.
Bioinoculants
Authors: Nosheen Asia , Bano Asghari , Ullah Faizan
Published: October 2013

This study aimed to find out the effect of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR; Azospirillum brasilense and Azotobacter vinelandii) either alone or in combination with different doses of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers on growth, seed yield, and oil quality of Brassica carinata (L.) cv. Peela Raya. PGPR were applied as seed inoculation at 106 cells/mL-1 so that the number of bacterial cells per seed was 2.6 × 105 cells/seed. The chemical fertilizers, namely, urea and diammonium phosphate (DAP) were applied in different doses (full dose (urea 160 kg ha-1 + DAP 180 kg ha-1), half dose (urea 80 kg ha-1 + DAP 90 kg ha-1), and quarter dose (urea 40 kg ha-1 + DAP 45 kg ha-1). The chemical fertilizers at full and half dose significantly increased the chlorophyll, carotenoids, and protein content of leaves and the seed yield (in kilogram per hectare) but had no effect on the oil content of seed. The erucic acid (C22:1) content present in the seed was increased. Azospirillum performed better than Azotobacter and its effect was at par with full dose of chemical fertilizers (CFF) for pigments and protein content of leaves when inoculated in the presence of half dose of chemical fertilizers (SPH). The seed yield and seed size were greater. Supplementing Azospirillum with SPH assisted Azospirillum to augment the growth and yield, reduced the erucic acid (C22:1) and glucosinolates contents, and increased the unsaturation in seed oil. It is inferred that A. brasilense could be applied as an efficient bioinoculant for enhancing the growth, seed yield, and oil quality of Ethiopian mustard at low fertilizer costs and sustainable ways.