bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated Model of Computable General Equilibrium and Social Cost Benefit Analysis of an Indian Oil Refinery: Future Projections and Macroeconomic Effects
Authors: Chaudhuri Sumana , Ray Shovan , Ganesh-Kumar
Published: December 2018

Cost benefit analysis (CBA) has long been used as a useful tool to appraise and evaluate the value of a range of investment projects to a society. Certain aspects of this method such as the appropriate discount rate is an important concern, because the choice of discount rates deeply affect the valuations of future income streams. Other aspects concerning financial flows and appropriate ‘shadow prices’ have also received considerable attention. However, when a megaproject with the character of a ‘universal intermediate’ is considered, its multiplier effects may be wide-ranging and permeate several economic and social layers and may be captured only in the aggregates. This study examines the costs and benefits of Vadinar refinery in Gujarat with a focus on this welfare dimension on society for the project. The framework explores a methodological breakthrough in CBA studies. In constituting the macroeconomic effects of expansion of the mega oil refinery, the wider economic impact (WEI) is estimated using the computable general equilibrium (CGE) model and incorporated into the CBA. This assimilation of CBA with macroeconomic externality obtained from the CGE model framework is perhaps only one of its kind in economic analysis of major infrastructure projects of any country. CBA when combined with CGE as an analytical tool can be gainfully employed to appraise or evaluate large scale projects like oil refineries.

JEL Classification: B41, C51, C52, C53, C54, C55, D50, D58, D60, D61, D62, H23, H43, L71, O22, Q43
The Dragon Turns around and the Elephant Moves Forward: Inequality in China and India under Globalization
Authors: Joseph K. J. , Zhang Liyan , Kakarlapudi Kiran Kumar
Published: December 2018

This article tends to suggest that the strategy of embracing globalization has been helpful in raising GDP growth in China and India. The higher growth record also coincided with increasing income inequality, wealth inequality and regional inequality. While China seems to have made some success in making a turnaround in inequality, in India inequalities are on the rise. The present study attributes the observed trend to the nature of structural change and the resultant employment generation in terms of both its quantity and its quality. FDI and trade under globalization also worked towards increasing inequalities. The key issue is why globalization as implemented in India failed to generate employment unlike what happened in China. India seems to have been not adequately successful in globalizing at ‘our terms and at our own pace’, whereas China has been able to successfully manage its transition to the global market, which in turn, at least partly, explains the observed differences in the trend in growth and inequality in these two countries. At the same time, while there have been targeted and effective policy measures in China to address inequalities, in India, such policies are yet to show up their results.
Tuberculosis Incidence and Factors Associated With Mortality Among Health Care Workers in Malaysia
Authors: Liew Su May , Khoo Ee Ming , Ho Bee Kiau , Lee Yew Kong , Mimi Omar , Fazlina Mohd Yusof , Asmah Razali , Ayadurai Vickneswari , Ismail Muhamad , Naim Abdul Kadir , Chinna Karuthan , Jiloris F. Dony
Published: December 2018

This study aims to determine tuberculosis incidence, all-cause mortality, and its associated factors among health care workers (HCWs) registered in 2012 to 2014 with the Malaysian National Tuberculosis (MyTB) Surveillance Registry. Regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with all-cause mortality. Incidence rates ranged from 135.18 to 156.50/100 000 and were higher for HCWs compared with the general population (risk ratio = 1.70-1.96). The mean age at notification was 34.6 ± 10.55 years; 68.9% were female. Most were paramedics (44.3%) followed by other HCWs (41.9%) and doctors (13.8%). Nearly a quarter (23.8%) had extrapulmonary tuberculosis. There were 23 deaths giving a case fatality rate of 2.4%. Factors associated with death were older age (odds ratio [OR] =1.05; confidence interval [CI] =1.01-1.10), diabetes (OR = 3.83; CI = 1.32-11.08), HIV positivity (OR = 18.16; CI = 4.60-71.68), and not receiving directly observed therapy (DOTS) (OR = 10.97; CI = 3.61-33.38). It is important for HCWs to be aware of these increased risks and for authorities to implement protective measures.
Accountability by the accountable self: The case of Leone Wollemborg
Authors: Masiero Eleonora
Published: December 2018

The accounting history literature has mostly concentrated on depicting how accountability practices evolve with respect to the organisational and social contexts, leaving at the margins explorations of the role of the ‘accountable self’ in this process. To extend this literature, the present study examines how the economist and landowner Leone Wollemborg (1859–1932) acted as an ‘accountable self’, explaining his own actions to the ‘other’, to promote a new organisational model aimed at solving the credit issue affecting the rural population. Based on archival material, the article explores Wollemborg’s biography and develops a content analysis of his discourses. The findings show that, by making a pervasive use of face-to-face narrative accountability, Wollemborg obtained trust and engagement of external potential stakeholders, thus expanding the rural credit cooperatives (Raiffeisen-style). This research facilitates understanding of the relevance for the initiator of a new organisational model to act as an ‘accountable self’.
The light on the hill and the ‘right to work’
Authors: Quirk Victor
Published: December 2018

In 1945 the Curtin Labor Government declared it had the capacity and responsibility to permanently eliminate the blight of unemployment from the lives of Australians in its White Paper ‘Full Employment in Australia’. This was the culmination of a century of struggle to establish the ‘right to work’, once a key objective of the 19th century labour movement. Deeply resented and long resisted by employer groups, the policy was abandoned in the mid-1970s, without an electoral mandate. Although the Australian Labor Party and union movement urged public vigilance to preserve full employment during 23 years of Liberal rule, after 1978 they quietly dropped the policy as the Australian Labor Party turned increasingly to corporate donors for the money they needed to stay electorally competitive. While few leading lights of today’s Labor movement care to discuss it, it is right that Australians celebrate this bold statement of our right to work, and the 30 years of full employment it heralded.
Evaluation of six TaqMan RT-rtPCR kits on two thermocyclers for the reliable detection of rabies virus RNA
Authors: Picard-Meyer Evelyne , Peytavin de Garam Carine , Schereffer Jean Luc , Robardet Emmanuelle , Cliquet Florence
Published: December 2018

Rabies is diagnosed postmortem in animals, based on tests prescribed by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), such as the fluorescent antibody test, the direct rapid immunohistochemistry test, or pan-lyssavirus PCR assays. Several reverse-transcription real-time PCR (RT-rtPCR) methods have been developed and validated for rapid and accurate detection of lyssaviruses. We evaluated the performance of 6 TaqMan RT-rtPCR kits using different commercial master mixes and 2 real-time thermocyclers. Changing the master mix overall did not influence the TaqMan RT-rtPCR performance, regardless of the thermocycler used. The limits of detection at the 95% confidence level were 18.1–25.8 copies/µL for the Rotor-Gene Q MDx thermocycler and 16.7–21.5 for the Mx3005P thermocycler. Excellent repeatability was demonstrated for rabies virus (RABV) RNA samples of 100, 50, and 25 copies/µL regardless of the thermocycler used. RABV field samples ( n = 35) isolated worldwide gave positive results using the most efficient of the 6 kits tested, with a copy number of 6.03 × 102 to 6.78 × 107 RNA copies per reaction. The TaqMan RT-rtPCR assay provides sensitive and rapid amplification of RABV RNA.
Evaluation of the Precision Xtra meter for monitoring blood β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations in late-gestation ewes
Authors: Ratanapob Niorn , VanLeeuwen John , McKenna Shawn , Wichtel Maureen , Rodriguez-Lecompte Juan C. , Menzies Paula , Wichtel Jeffrey
Published: December 2018

Blood samples were collected from late-gestation ewes to determine the agreement of a point-of-care (POC) Precision Xtra meter and a standard laboratory test for β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA). Fresh whole blood samples were immediately tested with the POC instrument, and serum samples were analyzed with a standard commercial biochemical analyzer. Ewes were classified as having ketonemia if their BHBA concentrations were ≥800 µmol/L. Scatter plots, paired t-tests, Bland–Altman limits of agreement, and Gwet AC1 tests were used to compare results. The 2 tests had very good agreement. The values between instruments were not statistically different based on paired t-tests ( p = 0.312). The intercept and slope of a linear mixed model, containing the standard test results as an outcome and the POC meter results as a predictor, were 0.02 (95% CI: 0.00, 0.04) and 0.98 (95% CI: 0.96, 1.01), respectively. When the samples were classified into ketonemic classes (non-ketonemic and ketonemic) based on BHBA concentrations obtained from each test, the Gwet AC1 statistic was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91, 0.97; p < 0.001). The ketosis classification agreed in 95% of samples. Based on the Bland–Altman plot and limits of agreement, the optimal cutoff to diagnose ketonemia with the POC meter was 1,000 µmol/L, which is 200 µmol/L higher than the laboratory BHBA medical decision limit. The Precision Xtra meter provided excellent correlation and substantial agreement with the standard laboratory technique for measuring blood BHBA in late-gestation ewes.
Siblings of Young People With Cancer in NZ: Experiences That Positively and Negatively Support Well-Being
Authors: Porteous Eleanor , Peterson Elizabeth R. , Cartwright Claire
Published: December 2018

Siblings of young people with cancer experience significant distress and these effects often exist long after their sibling’s treatment has successfully been completed. In New Zealand, many families must travel several hours to receive treatment, with some having to live away from home for extended periods which can create additional strains. We interviewed 10 siblings of pediatric cancer survivors drawn from a larger quantitative study, to investigate what made siblings’ experiences more difficult and to find out what was helpful in supporting their adjustment. The selected participants came from across New Zealand, represented a mix of gender and age, and had a range of depression scores. Our thematic analysis found that experiences that were associated with the most distress included concurrent stressors, and feeling left out, rejected, or isolated. Experiences that were most helpful to their well-being were feeling involved, knowing that they were still important and a priority for their parents, connecting with people through their experiences, and focusing on positive experiences. Our findings suggest that professionals working with these families could help siblings of a child with cancer by promoting hope, acknowledging positive growth, drawing attention to positive events to promote benefit finding, and providing opportunities to have fun. Increasing parental awareness of the impact of differential treatment and improving the public understanding of sibling issues might also be helpful.
Therapy the Natural Way: A Realist Exploration of the Wilderness Therapy Treatment Process in Adolescent Mental Health Care in Norway
Authors: Fernee Carina R. , Mesel Terje , Andersen Anders J. W. , Gabrielsen Leiv E.
Published: December 2018

Wilderness therapy has the potential to meet the specific needs of the current adolescent population by providing a rather unique outdoor group treatment. Wilderness therapy is not a new approach to mental health treatment, but its theoretical basis is not yet clearly delineated, in part because of the diversity found across programs and contexts. This article presents a critical realist exploration of a wilderness therapy program that was recently implemented as part of adolescent mental health services in Southern Norway. In this study, we combine fieldwork and interviews for an in-depth investigation of the treatment process, where the objective was to acquire a deeper understanding of the opportunities that arise in the wilderness therapy setting. The therapeutic mechanisms and influential contextual premises found across the ecological, physical, and psychosocial factors of this multidimensional approach to treatment are presented, and their underlying conditions are briefly discussed.
Helping or Heightening Vulnerability? Midwives as Arbiters of Risk for Women Experiencing Self-Directed Violence in Urban Sri Lanka
Authors: Palfreyman Alexis
Published: December 2018

The response of midwives to women engaging in self-directed violence (SDV) may affect women’s care and outcomes. The author explored midwives’ understanding of SDV through semi-structured focus groups and in-depth interviews with 11 Public Health Midwives in urban Sri Lanka. Thematic analysis identified four key themes: (a) perceived dimensions of women’s risk and vulnerability to SDV, (b) midwives as arbiters of risk, (c) representations of women engaging in SDV, and (d) midwives’ perceived capacity to respond. Given their proximity to communities, trustworthiness as sites of disclosure, and respectability as women and guardians of ideal womanhood in Sri Lankan society, midwives occupy a powerful position in the health system through which to alleviate or reinforce women’s risk to SDV. Yet, investment in developing their skills and role to respond to the growing phenomenon of SDV among women in Sri Lanka must consider the context within which midwives assess and select their responses.
Adapting Project RED to Skilled Nursing Facilities
Authors: Popejoy Lori L. , Vogelsmeier Amy A. , Wakefield Bonnie J. , Galambos Colleen M. , Lewis Alexandria M. , Huneke Diane , Mehr David R.
Published: December 2018

This article describes our recommendation for adapting hospital-based RED (Reengineered Discharge) processes to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Using focus groups, the SNFs’ discharge processes were assessed twice additionally, research staff then recorded field notes documenting discussions about facility discharge processes as they related to RED processes. Data were systematically analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recommendations for adapting RED to the SNF setting including (a) rapidly identifying, involving, and preparing family/caregivers to implement a patient focused SNF discharge plan; (b) reconnecting patients quickly to primary care providers; and (c) educating patients at discharge about their target health condition, medications, and impact of changes on other chronic health needs. Limited SNF staff capacity and corporate-level policies limited adoption of some key RED components. Transitional care processes such as RED, developed to avoid discharge problems, can be adapted for SNFs to improve their discharges.
How Grandparents Experience the Death of a Grandchild With a Life-Limiting Condition
Authors: Tatterton Michael J. , Walshe Catherine
Published: December 2018

Traditionally, family-focused care extends to parents and siblings of children with life-limiting conditions. Only a few studies have focused on the needs of grandparents, who play an important role in the families of children with illness and with life-limiting conditions, in particular. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used as the methodological framework for the study. Seven bereaved grandparents participated in this study. Semistructured, individual, face-to-face interviews were conducted. A number of contextual factors affected the experience of bereaved grandparents, including intergenerational bonds and perceived changes in role following the death of their grandchild. The primary motivation of grandparents stemmed from their role as a parent, not a grandparent. The breadth of pain experienced by grandparents was complicated by the multigenerational positions grandparents occupy within the family. Transition from before to after the death of a grandchild exacerbated the experience of pain. These findings about the unique footprint of grandparent grief suggest the development of family nursing practice to better understand and support grandparents during the illness of a grandchild, in addition to bereavement support.
Vibration of the rotating rectangular orthotropic Mindlin plates with an arbitrary stagger angle
Authors: Rostami Hamidreza , Bakhtiari-Nejad Firooz , Ranji Ahmad Rahbar
Published: December 2018

In this article, the vibration analysis of rotating moderately thick cantilever orthotropic plate is analytically investigated. Based on the first order shear deformation plate theory, the partial differential equations of motion are derived using Hamilton’s principle. The centrifugal inertia forces and Coriolis effects due to the rotation are all considered. The analytical approaches, both extended Kantorovich method and extended Galerkin method, are employed to obtain the solution of the problem. Results obtained by these two methods are compared with those available in the open literature and good agreements are observed. The effects of various parameters, individually or in combination, on the vibrational behaviors are analyzed in detail. From the studies, it is found that in the rotating plates, when the stiffness ratio increases, the crossing/veering phenomenon occurs in the lower mode orders and/or rotation speeds. The results show that for each stiffness ratio, the effect of hub radius ratio is more significant on the out-of-plane mode frequencies than on the in-plane ones.
A generalized approach to generate optimized approximations of the inverse Langevin function
Authors: Morovati Vahid , Mohammadi Hamid , Dargazany Roozbeh
Published: December 2018

Proper approximation of the inverse Langevin function (ILF) is a well-recognized problem with significant relevance in many fields ranging from polymer physics to turbulence mechanics. While several estimations of the ILF has been developed recently, the accuracy/complexity trade-off has remained a major challenge in ILF estimation. Accurate estimations are computationally too expensive, and the low-cost estimations lack high accuracy. Here, a novel approach is developed that can provide a family of approximation functions for ILF with different degrees of accuracy. In the present paper, a simple procedure is presented, which can take current approximation functions with asymptotic behavior and enhance them by the addition of a power series of their induced error. The total error is thus correlated with a number of terms in the power series. We further propose different approaches to reduce the terms of the power series and increase the accuracy, the proposed approach is applied to four different classes of ILF approximations and shows significant improvement. The accuracy/complexity trade-off for the family of ILF approximations generated by the proposed approach is compared against those of other approaches to show the advantage of the proposed model. The level of error of this method can reach as low as 0.02%.
The Centrality of Use: Theories of Evaluation Use and Influence and Thoughts on the First 50 Years of Use Research
Authors: King Jean A. , Alkin Marvin C.
Published: December 2018

Our third article on the history of evaluation use affirms its importance in evaluation practice and related literature. It first highlights the centrality of use in the field’s professionalizing documents, extant theories, and the persistence of continuing research. Next, it discusses the challenge of evaluation theories in general, including the prevalence of prescriptive theories, and provides criteria for a good descriptive use theory that even the most detailed use theory does not currently meet. The third section reviews existing use “theories,” nine from Alkin’s evaluation theory tree, two from the literature, and two existing influence theories. This article concludes with a discussion of research on evaluation use past and present, including the effects of competing definitions, along with thoughts for future inquiry.
Identification of dynamic coefficients in circular journal bearings from unbalance response and complementary equations
Authors: Chen Changmin , Jing Jianping , Cong Jiqing , Dai Zezeng
Published: December 2018

Experimentation is an effective approach to study the dynamic coefficients of journal bearings because experimental results are more reliable than theoretical calculations. Dynamic coefficients identification based on the unbalance response is more easily implemented than other experimental methods because of its independence from external exciting devices. However, this method may involve an ill-conditioned matrix problem, which increases algorithm complexity and decreases the precision of identification results. In this paper, a novel method is proposed to avoid ill-posed problems in the coefficient identification of circular journal bearings based on the unbalance response. The main approach used to overcome the ill-conditioned matrix problem is the introduction of four complementary equations that are uncorrelated with the dynamic equations derived from the unbalance response. Two relational expressions between damping are deduced from the Reynolds equation, and the other two relations between stiffness are obtained from the Taylor expansion of static forces acting on journal bearings. With the use of the four complementary relations, the identification matrix has a low condition number, and the identification of circular journal bearing dynamic coefficients can be easily implemented. Numerical experiments on two-axial groove journal bearings are used to analyze the condition number and identification error as well as verify the efficacy and accuracy of this method. The results show that the proposed method has a good identification capability with high precision and low condition number in solving the identification problems of journal bearings.
Affective Pedagogies, Equine-assisted Experiments and Posthuman Leadership
Authors: Staunæs Dorthe , Raffnsøe Sverre
Published: December 2018

Responding to Guattari’s call for a ‘mutation of mentality’, the article explores unconventional horse-assisted leadership learning as promising ways of embodied learning to be affected and response-able. By drawing on and continuing the work of Guattari and posthuman feminist scholars, we aim to show that studying the affective pedagogics of opening up the senses and learning to be affected is of vital importance. We analyse a posthuman auto-ethnography of developing capabilities to live and breathe together that allow us to relate in alternative ways. Experiments with affective pedagogy are conducted as they affect bodies through indeterminate and liminal contact zones and use aesthetics to evoke transformation in senses and thoughts, care and response. Since they are both domesticated and non-human, horses are promising companions in this endeavour of entrainment. However, these sensorial experiments also call for an ethics of cutting connections and, not least, of permitting refusals of refusals.
Touch and Affect: Analysing the Archive of Touch Biographies
Authors: Kinnunen Taina , Kolehmainen Marjo
Published: December 2018

This article examines touch and its significance from an affect studies perspective. Touch makes our bodies more-than-one in a very concrete way, yet in body and affect research it has largely remained a philosophical abstraction, with few empirical explorations. Our theoretical deliberations are based on empirical material consisting of ‘touch biographies’ written by people of various backgrounds in the 2010s in Finland. The biographies are embodied-affective data, and our analysis of them offers a novel perspective on the ways touch forms a part of affective relations and communal history. Touch works in and between bodies through affects in social bonds. Moreover, the exploration of touch biographies demonstrates that people draw upon different affective repertoires, and their experiences concerning touch are highly variable. The touch biographies highlight diverse and multi-temporal ways of attuning to, registering and recognising the social as it happens. Furthermore, our discussion opens up a new perspective on the study of affective privilege and inequality.
Mediating effect of psychological suzhi on the relationship between perceived social support and self-esteem
Authors: Liu Guangzeng , Pan Yangu , Ma Yuanxiao , Zhang Dajun
Published: December 2018

This study examined the mediating role of psychological suzhi on the relationship between perceived social support and self-esteem in a sample of 612 Chinese secondary school students (grades 7–12, mean age 15.20 ± 1.73 years). Structural equation modeling revealed that the association between perceived social support and self-esteem was partially mediated by psychological suzhi, and perceived social support not only directly affected students’ self-esteem but also indirectly affected students’ self-esteem through psychological suzhi. Moreover, the mediating effect of psychological suzhi showed transgender and cross school section stability. These findings can help us understand how perceived social support affects self-esteem, from the perspective of psychological suzhi.
‘Let’s get this thing open’: The pleasures of unboxing videos
Authors: Mowlabocus Sharif
Published: December 2018

Digital videos depicting the unboxing of new objects have become a lucrative revenue stream in the YouTube economy and are beginning to attract critical interest from media scholars. Much of this work focuses on the economic and regulatory dimensions of this new digital form, but little has been written regarding the texts themselves or the pleasures they offer viewers. In this article, I contribute to recent scholarship on YouTube genres, by performing a critical ‘unboxing’ of this digital form. Following a brief introduction to this phenomenon, in which I outline the key narrative tropes found in these videos, I unpack the affective intensities and tactile pleasures that structure these texts, in order to consider how and why unboxing has become so popular.
Making the future by using the future: A study on influencing privacy protection rules through anticipatory storylines
Authors: Minkkinen Matti
Published: December 2018

This article investigates how futures of privacy protection are made in Europe. The public consultation phase of the European Union’s data protection reform is analysed as a case of making the future by using the future, that is, influencing institutional change through anticipatory storylines. A qualitative analysis of consultation responses is conducted, and two discourse coalitions are identified. The industry coalition promotes market liberalisation to allow the digital future to emerge. The civil society coalition, in turn, argues for rescuing privacy with strict rules. The article suggests that plausibility in relation to the discursive and extra-discursive environment is crucial for the success of storylines. The second storyline was relatively successful because it was more plausible in light of the trend of legalism and the predominant future-oriented narrative of privacy in danger. The ‘anticipatory institutionalism’ approach opens novel perspectives concerning actors’ future-oriented projects in relation to historical processes.
Challenges in implementing models of coordinated care
Authors: Janich Nicole K , Shafer Michael S
Published: December 2018

The purpose of this study is to explore implementation challenges behavioral health agencies have faced in moving toward new models of care coordination which have been mandated by health care policy. Specifically, this study looks at six behavioral health agencies in a rural region of a southwestern state. Three agencies had adopted a colocated model of care coordination which involved partnering with a local Federally Qualified Health Center to provide primary care services at the behavioral health agency facilities. Three other agencies included in the study had adopted a fully integrated model of care coordination which involved hiring their own practitioners to provide primary care services at their facilities.

Findings

Results from this qualitative study identified seven areas of implementation challenges experienced by agencies including financial mechanisms, regulation, electronic health records, role clarification, information sharing, medical provider stigma, and staff training on coordinated care. Some of the most common challenges for all agencies regardless of the model being implemented were funding mechanisms, information sharing, and regulation.

Application

Findings from this study indicate that although health care policy has moved toward a more progressive form of health care, challenges still remain that threaten the sustainability of such care. Improvements at the policy level are needed to reform payment mechanisms and regulatory burden, in addition to making improvements at the local level to train practitioners.
Institutional mapping as a tool for resource consultation
Authors: Underwood Kathryn , Smith Alison , Martin Julia
Published: December 2018

This article explores how mapping is currently being used in social services research as well as practice, and discusses the potential for mapping to be a useful tool for resource consultants in the field. This article will review different mapping techniques, including community mapping, eco-mapping, journey mapping and institutional mapping, and discuss their purpose within research and professional practice. Using examples from the Inclusive Early Childhood Service System project, we describe the application of mapping in social service work, and how resource consultants can use these techniques in their own practice.
Towards a user preference model for interior lighting Part 1: Concept of the user preference model and experimental method
Authors: Khanh TQ , Bodrogi P , Guo X , Anh PQ
Published: December 2018

The objective and subjective factors influencing human-centric lighting design and their effect on the user of the lighting system are analysed with the aim of developing a user preference model. It is discussed how to apply this user preference model in the Internet of Things network structure of luminaires in order to obtain an ‘Internet of Luminaires’ for good user acceptance. The method of a visual experiment intended to elucidate these concepts and contribute to the user preference model is described. In the experiment, subjects assessed scene brightness, visual clarity, colour preference and scene preference in a real room. Modelling equations of these attributes will be shown and discussed in Part 2 of this work.
Individual differences in political aggression: The role of social integration, perceived grievances and low self-control
Authors: Pauwels Lieven J.R. , Ljujic Vanja , De Buck Ann
Published: December 2018

Several models have been suggested for studying (self-reported) aggression. Less frequently, these theories are empirically applied to explain individual differences in political aggression. The present study examines the role of distal, intermediate and proximate mechanisms in a net-sample of 6020 young adults. Using log-linear structural equation modelling, the independent effects of cumulative social integration, perceived personal and group injustices and low self-control are assessed. It is assumed that these factors contribute to the ‘crystallization of discontent’ by fostering religious authoritarianism, political powerlessness, support for extremist beliefs and online exposure to extremist content. Support for extremist content and online exposure to extremist content are strong predictors, and function as different routes towards political aggression. The results support an integrated approach towards the study of political aggression. Implications for future studies are discussed.
Conformal Radiation Therapy or Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy: Institutional Experience in the Management of Colorectal Liver Metastases by Radiation Therapy
Authors: He Zemin , Chen Gang , Ouyang Bo , Zhang Haoyue , Chen Hui , Wang Yehuang , Yan Shushan , Pan Wei
Published: December 2018

Aim:

Radiation therapy has been proven “safe and effective” in the management of colorectal cancer liver metastases, especially for oligometastases. However, to date, there is no consensus on optimal prescribed doses or dose fraction schemes. The current study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness and safety of 2 different radiation therapy methods, conventional conformal radiation therapy and stereotactic body radiation therapy, in the treatment of limited colorectal cancer liver metastases.

Methods:

From December 2011 to December 2016, twenty-six patients with colorectal cancer having postoperative liver metastases (≤3) who were being treated with radiation therapy, either conventional conformal radiation therapy (50 Gy in 25 fractions) or stereotactic body radiation therapy (50 Gy in 10 fractions), were selected for this study. Overall survival and local control survival were analyzed by log-rank and Cox regression methods.

Results:

Radiation therapy delivered to each of the 26 patients with a total of 50 liver lesions. Conformal radiation therapy was delivered to 32 lesions in a total of 15 patients. Stereotactic body radiation therapy was delivered to 18 lesions in a total of 11 patients. Median follow-up was 13 months. Three-year overall survival and local control survival were 0% and 38.5%, 20.5%, and 53.0%, respectively, for the conformal radiation therapy and stereotactic body radiation therapy groups. The slightly better overall survival and local control survival in the stereotactic body radiation therapy group in comparison to the conformal radiation therapy group ( P = .323 and .297) is insignificant. There were no differences in grade 3 hepatic toxicity between the 2 groups. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status and the number of liver lesions were significant prognostic factors in both univariate and multivariate analyses.

Conclusions:

Noninvasive radiation therapy provides satisfactory survival benefit for limited colorectal cancer liver metastases without intolerable toxicity and is therefore especially suitable for those elderly patients with poor performance status. Furthermore, stereotactic body radiation therapy with a higher biological equivalent dose and an abbreviated course of treatment has been shown to provide a better outcome than conventional conformal radiation therapy.
Empowering Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease To Avoid Unwanted Medical Care: A Look At The Dementia Care Triad
Authors: Shelton Wayne , Tenenbaum Evelyn , Costello Kevin , Hoffman David
Published: December 2018

Patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia with acute medical problems, who have lost capacity and are without advance directives, are at risk of being over treated inhospitals. To deal with this growing demographic and ethical crisis, patients with dementia need to plan for their future medical care while they have capacity to do so. This article will examine the role of each member of the dementia care triad and how to empower the patient to participate in planning future medical care. A case will be made that physicians have the same professional disclosure obligations to dementia patients as they do to all other capable patients with terminal illnesses. Because there is little consensus about what facts should be included in a diagnostic disclosure, this article will offer a proposal to empower newly diagnosed patients with dementia with capacity to plan for their future medical care.
From the Editors
Authors: Ray Rashawn , Rojas Fabio
Published: December 2018

Rashawn Ray and Fabio Rojas introduce the special issue on Asian America/ns and reflect on their first year as editors of Contexts.
Reaching Out
Authors: Rojas Fabio
Published: December 2018

Fabio Rojas interviews urban studies scholar Mario Luis Small.
Asian Americans in Small-Town America
Authors: Walton Emily C.
Published: December 2018

Capturing belonging as a dynamic social process for Asian Americans in the historically White rural United States.
Being a Transnational Korean Adoptee, Becoming Asian American
Authors: Laybourn Wendy Marie
Published: December 2018

The 2018 Winter Olympics saw Korean adoptees celebrated as global ambassadors bridging Korea and the U.S. Yet, in their daily lives, Korean adoptees often feel they are not quite full members of either country or culture. What does it mean for these adoptees to be inbetween, historically and contemporarily, and how do they fit into Asian America?
Asian American Men in Romantic Dating Markets
Authors: Kao Grace , Balistreri Kelly Stamper , Joyner Kara
Published: December 2018

Socioeconomic success doesn’t yet mean social or sexual acceptance for Asian American men.
Harvesters of the White Desert
Authors: Mukherjee Sugato
Published: December 2018

Grueling work on the economic and social margins.
Undocumented Asians, Left in the Shadows
Authors: Kim Soo Mee , Yellow Horse Aggie J.
Published: December 2018

Soo Mee Kim and Aggie J. Yellow Horse on the harms of Asian erasure in immigration debates.
Risk and Race in Measuring Special Education Need
Authors: Farkas George , Morgan Paul L.
Published: December 2018

George Farkas and Paul L. Morgan on improving special education provision through metric precision.
The Effect of Ramadan Fasting on Body Composition and Metabolic Syndrome in Apparently Healthy Men
Authors: Al-barha Naif S. , Aljaloud Khalid S.
Published: December 2018

There are few studies investigating the role of Ramadan fasting on body composition and the characteristics of metabolic syndrome, especially in hot environments. The main aim of the study was to investigate the effect of Ramadan fasting on body composition and the characteristics of metabolic syndrome in apparently healthy men. In a randomized design, 44 college students aged 27.6 ± 5.8 years were selected to participate in the present study. Lifestyle was assessed by a developed questionnaire, body composition was measured using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer, and blood parameters were evaluated by taking a vein blood sample (10 ml) after fasting 10 hr. All measurements were taken 2–3 days before the month of Ramadan, at the end of Week 2 and end of Week 3, and 6 weeks later. The results identified no significant changes in any of the body composition parameters before, during, or after the month of Ramadan. The only significant change in blood parameters was recorded as a positive reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) during the month of Ramadan, compared to before and after Ramadan. No major changes in metabolic syndrome factors were seen except in fasting blood glucose and systolic blood pressure as both factors were slightly but significantly elevated during the month of Ramadan and even after Ramadan, though both of them were within normal levels. This study concludes that Ramadan fasting could be one of the factors that reduce LDL. More studies are needed to clarify the role of Ramadan fasting on different populations such as obese and diabetic patients.
Longitudinal HIV Transmission Risk Profiles Among Men Who Have Sex With Men Living With HIV in the SUN Study
Authors: van den Berg Jacob J. , Zaller Nickolas D. , Gillani Fizza S. , Dunsiger Shira I. , Marshall Brandon D. L. , Kahler Christopher W. , Operario Don
Published: December 2018

Examining how multiple concomitant factors interact to augment HIV transmission risk is needed to inform more effective primary and secondary HIV prevention programs for men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. The development of a “taxonomy” of long-term sexual and drug-related risk behavior profiles may have important implications for resource allocation and targeted HIV prevention programming. A secondary data analysis was conducted to explore longitudinal HIV transmission risk profiles among 423 MSM living with HIV enrolled in the Study to Understand the Natural History of HIV and AIDS in the Era of Effective Therapy (SUN Study). Between March 2004 and February 2012, participants completed semiannual, audio computer-assisted self-interviews that included demographics, employment status, medical information, alcohol use, stimulant use, sexual risk, and depression. Latent class analysis was used to identify patterns of risky behavior over time with respect to sexual risk, heavy drinking, and stimulant (i.e., methamphetamine and cocaine) use taken collectively. Three classes were identified: (a) High Sustained Heavy Drinker Class (33%), (b) High Mostly Stable Sexual Risk Class (17%), and (c) Overall Low Risk Class. (50%). Post hoc comparisons between classes revealed that men in Classes 1 ( p = .03) and 2 ( p = .02) were significantly younger than those in Class 3. In comparison to those in Classes 1 and 3, those in Class 2 were less likely to report being a racial/ethnic minority ( p = .04) and had the highest self-reported sexually transmitted infections ( p < .001). Findings indicate the need to better integrate sexual and substance use risk reduction strategies, including brief interventions and engagement in addiction treatment, for MSM living with HIV in the United States.
The effectiveness of constraints-led training on skill development in interceptive sports: A systematic review
Authors: Clark Matthew E , McEwan Kayla , Christie Candice J
Published: December 2018

There has been a recent increase in constraints-led training to assist the development of technical and cognitive skill in sports. While the benefits of constraints-led training appear obvious, the evidence for this type of training is not clear. Therefore, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to establish the effectiveness of this approach to training within interceptive sports. Four databases (Google Scholar, JURN, Mendeley and Science Direct) were searched for journal articles focused on skill acquisition within interceptive sports. A methodological and reporting quality assessment was done to determine the quality of each article. Eighteen articles were selected for review. The results of these two quality assessments revealed poor quality scores for the majority of the studies. However, 77.7% of the studies found a positive effect in skill acquisition following manipulation in training protocol; therefore, the implementation of the constraints-led approach within interceptive sport can be advocated. Key methodological structures were identified as well as aspects of methodology that should be avoided to ensure reliable results for future studies. Further research is required to determine the effectiveness of constraints-led training on interceptive sporting performance.
Impact of Middle Turbinectomy on Airflow to the Olfactory Cleft: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study
Authors: Alam Suhyla , Li Chengyu , Bradburn Kathryn H. , Zhao Kai , Lee Thomas S.
Published: December 2018

Background

The impact of middle turbinate resection (MTR) on olfaction remains a point of debate in the current literature. Few studies have objectively evaluated olfactory cleft airflow following MTR; thus, the mechanism by which MTR may impact olfaction is poorly understood. It is not known whether the postsurgical changes in airway volume, flow, and resistance increase odorant transport or disrupt the patterns of normal airflow. Computational fluid dynamics can be used to study the nasal airway and predict responses to surgical intervention.

Objective

To evaluate the functional impact of MTR on nasal airflow, resistance, and olfaction.

Methods

Five maxillofacial computed tomography scans of patients without signs of significant sinusitis or nasal polyposis were used. Control models for each patient were compared to their corresponding model after virtual total MTR. For each model, nasal airway volume, nasal resistance, and air flow rate were determined. Odorant transport of 3 different odorants in the nasal cavity was simulated based on the computed steady airflow field.

Results

Total airflow significantly increased following bilateral MTR in all patient models ( P < .05). Consistent with our airflow results, we found a decrease in nasal resistance following MTR. MTR significantly increased area averaged flux to the olfactory cleft when compared to controls for phenylethyl alcohol (high-sorptive odorant). Results for carvone (medium sorptive) were similarly elevated. MTR impact on limonene, a low flux odorant, was equivocal.

Conclusion

MTR increases nasal airflow while decreasing the nasal resistance. Overall, olfactory flux increased for high sorptive (phenylethyl alcohol) and medium sorpitve (l-carvone) odorants. However, the significant variation observed in one of our models suggests that the effects of MTR on the nasal airflow and the resultant olfaction can vary between individuals based on individual anatomic differences.
Strategic Foresight in the Federal Government: A Survey of Methods, Resources, and Institutional Arrangements
Authors: Greenblott Joseph M. , O’Farrell Thomas , Olson Robert , Burchard Beth
Published: December 2018

The goal of this study is to help identify approaches and practices for improving Federal foresight efforts and the means for integrating foresight work into strategic planning and decision making. We present the results of semistructured interviews with people involved with foresight in 19 Federal agencies, and with two non-Federal experts on foresight in government. We discuss where agencies use similar approaches and where their approaches diverge, and include particularly insightful quotes from interviewees. We also discuss “broader observations” regarding the state of strategic foresight efforts across the Federal government and how our findings relate to opportunities and challenges to institutionalizing foresight in the Federal government.
Reimagining the Big Data assemblage
Authors: Carter Daniel
Published: December 2018

Recent work on Big Data and analytics reveals a tension between analyzing the role of emerging objects and processes in existing systems and using those same objects and processes to create new and purposeful forms of action. While the field of science and technology studies has had considerable success in pursuing the former goal, as Halford and Savage argue, there is an ongoing need to discover or invent ways to “do Big Data analytics differently.” In this commentary, I suggest that attempts to produce new ways of working with Big Data and analytics might be hindered by how science and technology studies-influenced scholars have conceptualized assemblages. While these scholars have foregrounded objects’ relations within existing assemblages, new materialist philosophers draw attention to properties of objects that transcend those relations and might indicate opportunities for more creative or generative uses of Big Data and analytics.