bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wirksamkeit eines ambulanten, verhaltenstherapeutisch orientierten Rehabilitationsprogramms - eine Wartelistenkontrollgruppenstudie
Authors: Rabenstein Rafael , Pintzinger Nina , Knogler Verena , Kirnbauer Vivian , Lenz Gerhard , Schosser Alexandra
Published: September 2015

Hintergrund: Seit 2010 besteht das «Zentrum für seelische Gesundheit Leopoldau» als erste ganztägig ambulante Einrichtung für medizinische Rehabilitation psychischer Erkrankungen in Österreich. Das Rehabilitationszentrum wurde bis 2013 gemeinsam mit der Pensionsversicherungsanstalt als Pilotprojekt geführt und umfassend evaluiert. Das 6-wöchige multimodale Rehabilitationsprogramm hat einen störungsspezifischen, verhaltenstherapeutischen Schwerpunkt. Mittels einer Wartelistenkontrollgruppenstudie soll nun die Wirksamkeit dieser Maßnahme zusätzlich überprüft werden. Patienten und Methoden: Von Oktober 2010 bis Dezember 2013 nahmen insgesamt 2365 Patienten eine Rehabilitationsbehandlung in Anspruch und füllten zu 3 Zeitpunkten Fragebögen aus: 1) beim Vorkontakt (Informationsgespräch) vor Reha-Antritt, 2) zum Aufnahmezeitpunkt und 3) zum Entlassungszeitpunkt. In die vorliegende Wartelistenkontrollgruppenstudie wurden all jene Patienten eingeschlossen, die zwischen 42 und 48 Tage auf den Beginn der Behandlung warteten (n = 170), sodass die Wartedauer mit der 6-wöchigen Behandlungsdauer vergleichbar war. Aus den verbleibenden 2195 Patienten wurden randomisiert weitere 170 Personen ausgewählt, deren Daten als Interventionsgruppe herangezogen wurden. Die allgemeine Symptombelastung wurde mit dem Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), die Depressivität mit dem Beck-Depressions-Inventar (BDI) und die Lebensqualität mittels WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) untersucht. Ergebnisse: Sowohl im Vergleich zwischen Wartelistenkontrollgruppe und Interventionsgruppe als auch innerhalb der Interventionsgruppe zeigten sich zum Entlassungszeitpunkt signifikante Verbesserungen im Hinblick auf die allgemeine Symptombelastung, die depressive Symptomatik und die Lebensqualität. Diskussion: Die vorliegende Studie stellt die erste kontrollierte Untersuchung zur Erfassung der Wirksamkeit eines multimodalen verhaltenstherapeutischen Rehabilitationsprogramms dar. Die Ergebnisse lassen darauf schließen, dass die Maßnahme zu einer deutlichen Reduktion der Symptombelastung führt, was als Wirksamkeitsnachweis interpretiert werden kann.
Editorial
Authors: Ramos Luiz Fernando , Fernandes Sílvia
Published: September 2015

Editorial da Sala Preta 15.1
Histórias editadas: um estudo de caso sobre o uso do clipping como material documental
Authors: Machado Bernardo Fonseca
Published: September 2015

Este artigo analisa o clipping da Cia. de Teatro Os Satyros presente em sua sede. Seu objetivo é investigar como o grupo criou uma história de si utilizando-se da seleção e edição do material publicado pela imprensa. Pretende-se contribuir para uma historiografia do teatro brasileiro analisando narrativas que se tornaram “oficiais” e naturalizadas por profissionais de teatro – grupos, diretores(as), atores e atrizes etc. A metodologia está baseada no contraste de fontes e documentos a fim de compreender como narrativas históricas são criadas pelos próprios agentes. 
Dialética cadavérica em Mãe, de José de Alencar
Authors: Delmanto Ivan
Published: September 2015

O presente artigo realiza uma análise do texto Mãe, de José de Alencar, investigando as relações de tensão entre a forma teatral e o tecido histórico brasileiro, procurando estabelecer uma releitura da experiência estética e questionando a possibilidade de apreensão, nas cicatrizes, limitações e contradições do texto teatral, de índices da realidade histórica. 
Variation of mutual colour ornaments of king penguins in response to winter resource availability
Authors: Keddar Ismaël , Couchoux Charline , Jouventin Pierre , Dobson F. Stephen
Published: September 2015

We studied the influence of marine resources during a year of abundance and another of extreme scarcity, on sexually selected ornaments of the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), a seabird with striking coloured ornaments in both sexes. Displaying birds started their breeding cycle with similar mean body mass each year, but both sexes had significantly larger yellow/orange auricular patches in the year of abundant resources. Colours of the auricular patches and breast were more pure in the good year, and both UV and yellow/orange colours of beak spots were brighter. Comparison of the mating process suggested lower levels of choosiness in both sexes during the unfavourable year, perhaps in order to pair more quickly and partly compensate for a marked delay in breeding initiation. Our results suggest that the expression of sexual traits may substantially vary under different environmental conditions, a predication of some models of mate choice and sexual selection.
Critical Thinking and Comparative Analysis in Religious Studies
Authors: Dubuisson Daniel
Published: September 2015

The absence of an exclusive method or global theory in the area of religious studies should by no means be considered an insurmountable obstacle before which critical thinking should be paralyzed, and beyond which it would be unable to move.
Literary and Rhetorical Theory in Irenaeus, Part 2
Authors: Briggman Anthony
Published: September 2015

In his well-known Biblical Interpretation in the Early Church Manlio Simonetti asserted that Irenaeus of Lyons was unable to offer principled opposition to Gnostic allegorical interpretations of the Scriptures and, therefore, resorted to the authority of tradition. Such a reading not only overlooks the hermeneutical principles upon which Irenaeus founds his polemic against Gnostic interpretations, but fails to recognize the theory undergirding those principles. This article, the second of a two-part study, offers a new reading. I argue that Irenaeus opposes Gnostic interpretations of Scripture, including their allegorical readings (broadly conceived), by articulating and applying hermeneutical principles that draw upon ancient literary and rhetorical theory.
The Place of Psychoanalysis in the History of Ethics
Authors: Harcourt Edward
Published: September 2015

Psychoanalytic writing rarely features on university ethics curricula, so the idea that psychoanalysis has a place in the history of ethics may be a surprise. The aim of the paper is to show that it should not be. The strategy is to sketch in outline an enduring line of inquiry in the history of ethics, namely the Platonic-Aristotelian investigation of the relationship between human nature, human excellence and the human good, and to suggest that psychoanalysis exemplifies it too. But since the suggestion, once made, seems not only true but obviously true, the paper spends some time exploring why the place of psychoanalysis in the history of ethics has so often been overlooked, before developing the outline more fully and offering detailed reasons as to why psychoanalysis fits it. One consequence is that Freudian and (in a sense explained) ‘relational’ variants of psychoanalysis continue the Platonic-Aristotelian line of inquiry in interestingly different ways.
Text and Context in the Responsibility to Protect: A Reply to Hehir
Authors: Dunne Tim , Gelber Katharine
Published: September 2015

This is a reply to Aiden Hehir’s critique of our earlier article published in this journal, in which we analysed international negotiations over the 2011 Libya crisis and argued that the humanitarian norm of protecting civilians was germane in these debates and subsequent United Nations Security Council Resolutions. In the reply we challenge some of Hehir’s allegations as to what was argued in the original article, reaffirm the argumentation framework against which we analysed the data, and summarise the evidence on which we relied.
Epistemic Akrasia, Higher-order Evidence, and Charitable Belief Attribution
Authors: Vahid Hamid
Published: September 2015

Epistemic akrasia refers to the possibility of forming an attitude that fails to conform to one’s best judgment. In this paper, I will be concerned with the question whether epistemic akrasia is rational and I will argue that it is not. Addressing this question, in turn, raises the question of the epistemic significance of higher-order evidence. After examining some of the views on this subject, I will present an argument to show why higher-order evidence is relevant to the epistemic status of the pertinent first-order beliefs. This helps to show why a standard argument for the rationality of epistemic akrasia does not work. Finally, I shall try to show how considerations involving Davidson’s theory of radical interpretation bear on the question of the rationality of epistemic akrasia.
Comparative Legal Scholarship as Ordinary Legal Scholarship
Authors: Smith Stephen A.
Published: September 2015

This essay argues that comparative law is not and never will be a distinctive academic discipline. Various counter-arguments based on the alleged distinctiveness of comparative law’s (1) subject-matter, (2) methodology, (3) challenges, and (4) aims are identified and rejected. The essay concludes by arguing that comparative scholars should embrace the ordinariness of their scholarship. To the extent that comparative law is associated with a particular subject-matter, method, challenge, or aim its value will always be a matter for debate. By contrast, if comparative scholarship is just ordinary scholarship with more data (as I argue), its value is undeniable.
Considering Precedent in Louisiana: Balancing the Value of Predictable and Certain Interpretation with the Tradition of Flexibility and Adaptability
Authors: Algero Mary Garvey
Published: September 2015

Despite the fundamental differences between the doctrines employed in common law and civil law (or mixed) jurisdictions when it comes to the respect paid to prior court decisions and their weight or value, United States courts that follow the common law doctrine of stare decisis have embraced some of the flexibility inherent in the civil law doctrine, and civil law and mixed jurisdictions throughout the world, including Louisiana, that use the doctrine of jurisprudence constante seem to have come to value the predictability and certainty that come with the common law doctrine. This Article suggests that Louisiana courts are striking the right balance between valuing the predictability and certainty of interpretation that comes with a healthy respect for precedent and maintaining the flexibility and adaptability of the law by not strictly considering precedent a source of law. This Article discusses the results of an ongoing examination of the sources of law and the value of precedent in Louisiana. The examination involves a study of Louisiana legislation, Louisiana courts’ writings about the sources of law and precedent, and a survey of Louisiana judges. Part of the examination included reviewing Louisiana judicial opinions on various issues to determine if there were differences in valuing precedent based on area of law or topic. It also included reviewing judicial opinions from the United States Supreme Court and New York state courts to compare these courts’ approaches to the use of precedent with those of the Louisiana courts. The article is based on a paper presented to the Third Congress of Mixed Jurisdiction Jurists, which was held in Jerusalem, Israel in June 2011, and the author’s prior writings on the subject.
An African Doctrine of Equity in South African Public Law
Authors: Bennett Thomas W.
Published: September 2015

For the first time in the history of South African law, a typically African concept – Ubuntu – has been adopted into the common law of the land (which is a mixture of English and Roman-Dutch law). Ever since colonial conquest, the indigenous normative orders of Africa have been treated as inferior. While South Africa’s new constitutional dispensation had the effect of elevating customary law to the same status as that of the common law, the traffic of ideas between the two systems continued to favour the latter as the superior system. The reception of ubuntu into the common law reversed this process. This paper examines the function of ubuntu in its new environment. Most of the discussion about the concept has concentrated on its meaning, a question that has been concentrated on finding a suitable English translation. The most obvious have been the calques, ‘humanity’, ‘personhood’ or ‘humaneness’, but none have been especially helpful, for they cannot hope to convey the full range of functions now performed by ubuntu. It is argued in this paper that searches for a priori meanings are unhelpful: words are continually being exploited by users to serve their own particular ends. In this regard, it must be appreciated that ubuntu is a loanword, and thus especially susceptible to manipulation. The paper shows that the courts have used ubuntu to supply a peculiarly African form of equity that has been used to solve hard cases and conflicts between rules, notably in the area of public law.
Shapeless Trusts and Settlor Title Retention: An Asian Morality Play
Authors: Hofri-Winogradow Adam S.
Published: September 2015

The recent Chinese Trust Act has created a stir in trusts scholarship by taking no position on the location of title in the trust assets, not requiring that title to vest in the trustee. The Act thus permits settlors to retain title in the trust assets despite having appointed another as trustee. Leading trust scholars have criticised the Chinese Act’s noncommittal approach, pointing to the difficulties created by settlors continuing to own the trust assets. The present article attempts to evaluate the efficacy of such “shapeless trusts” and “settlor title retention trusts” by examining the career of the Chinese Act’s principal predecessor – the Israeli Trust Act of 1979, which established the world’s first shapeless trust regime. I identify two advantages of such regimes. One is their making trustees’ duties and beneficiaries’ effective remedies applicable in fiduciary situations conventionally analysed as agency, nomineeship or, under civil law systems, mandate. A further advantage is that “settlor title retention trusts” may help introduce the trust mechanism to potential settlors unaccustomed to it, who may be deterred by the prospect of giving away title in their property.
Creating Mixed Jurisdictions: Legal Integration in the Southern African Development Community Region
Authors: Mancuso Salvatore
Published: September 2015

“The SADC is an organization aiming at economic integration. It started to envisage some forms of legal integration to support a proper economic cooperation. The article aims at identifying a possible methodological approach of such envisaged legal integration using comparative methodology and OHADA as a reference. Such choice comes from the consideration that OHADA is the main experience of legal integration in Africa and that one of the SADC countries is also member of OHADA”.
Law Applicable to Unilateral Juridical Acts and Uniform Conflict-of-law Rules
Authors: Pauknerová Monika
Published: September 2015

Private international law smoothes the edges of civilian law and common law thanks to its specific legislative and technical structure. Conflict-of-law rules are considered to be neutral, and therefore more appropriate for unification, than substantive rules because countries are prepared to surrender their own individual solutions for the sake of uniform international or supranational regulation. This is evident in the successful unification of conflict-of-law rules at the global and European Union levels, as compared with the less common partial unifications of substantive rules. The paper illustrates several examples of unilateral legal acts in the European space, how diverse may be their substantive qualification in different legal systems, and what impacts these substantive differences may have upon the determination of the applicable law for obligations under European conflict-of-law rules. From the perspective of the conflict of laws, an issue remains open regarding what approach should be taken where a uniform legislative instrument – namely a European Regulation – fails to include a particular institution or act either expressly or impliedly.
A new species of Cronisia Berkeley (Corsiniaceae) from Mexico

Authors: Hicks Marie L.
Published: September 2015

A new species of Cronisia with sessile dorsal female involucres is described from Mexico. This plant, C. mexicana, is compared to C. paradoxa and to other species with similarly placed female involucres.
The Antillean Arc and the distribution of neotropical mosses
Authors: M. Claudio Delgadillo
Published: September 2015

The West Indies have strong continental affinities, but the strongest are with South America, not Central America as was once thought. Moss diversity is the result of migration after the Miocene; the patterns of distribution involving the West Indies and South or North America indicate both migration as well as floristic flows through the Antillean Arc. Speciation due to selective pressures in the changing climate of the Pleistocene gave rise to endemic taxa, but paleoendemics may have resulted in a previous archipelago condition.
Tadpole diversity of Bolivia's lowland anuran communities: molecular identification, morphological characterisation, and ecological assignment
Authors: SCHULZE ARNE , JANSEN MARTIN , KÖHLER GUNTHER
Published: September 2015

The last decades have witnessed a rapid increase in our knowledge about amphibian diversity, and a growing number of studies have focused on anuran larval stages. Tadpoles can provide key information for conservation issues and the understanding of amphibian evolution. Moreover, research in tadpoles has the potential to advance species delimitation in the diverse and still understudied Neotropical amphibian fauna. In this study we present morphological tadpole characterisations of 41 lowland species illustrated by detailed imagery (mainly of live specimens). The larvae were identified via captive breeding and genetically using recently published DNA barcodes of adult Bolivian frogs. Tadpoles of three species (Rhinella mirandaribeiroi, Dendropsophus melanargyreus, and D. salli) are described for the first time. The descriptions of 38 tadpoles are at least new for Bolivia (due to the divergent status of many of the Bolivian lineages, further studies are needed to clarify their taxonomy). In addition, we provide information on tadpole habitats, which—combined with morphological data—reveal ecomorphological guilds that further illustrate Bolivia's lowlands tadpole diversity.
Improving the law reform process: Opportunities for empirical qualitative research?
Authors: Hanley Natalia , Fileborn Bianca , Larcombe Wendy , Henry Nicola , Powell Anastasia
Published: September 2015

Research on law reform has identified a variety of factors that help or hinder the reform process, but it has not systematically explored the role that empirical research plays and could play in enabling and enhancing law reform. Drawing on a series of qualitative interviews with criminal law reform experts in Victoria, we analyse the current uses and perceived value of empirical research in criminal law reform and explore opportunities for qualitative research methods to be used more systematically or extensively to improve criminal law reform processes and outcomes.
Are world cities also world immigrant cities? An international, cross-city analysis of global centrality and immigration
Authors: Sanderson Matthew R , Derudder Ben , Timberlake Michael , Witlox Frank
Published: September 2015

Systematic research on world cities neglects immigration, despite its significance to world city formation. In this article, we test a foundational, but untested, premise of world cities research: that global centrality in the world urban system is associated with larger, more diverse immigrant populations. Using an international sample of cities, we conduct multivariate regressions of Benton-Short et al.’s Urban Immigrant Index on the Globalization and World City Network measure of advanced producer service firm centrality and two other measures of global urban centrality, controlling for competing explanations of international migration. Our findings reveal that cities that are more central to the network of advanced producer service firms have larger, more diverse immigrant populations than less-central cities. World cities are thus not only key sites for corporate control of the world economy, but they are also central in international flows of immigrant labor, as Sassen hypothesized nearly 30 years ago.
RRTCS
Authors: del Mar Rueda María , Cobo Beatriz , Arcos Antonio
Published: September 2015

Randomized response (RR) techniques may be used to compile more reliable data, to protect the respondent’s confidentiality, and to avoid an unacceptable rate of nonresponse when the information requested is sensitive (e.g., concerning racism, drug use, abortion, delinquency, AIDS, or academic cheating). Standard RR methods are used primarily in surveys that require a binary response to a sensitive question, and seek to estimate the proportion of people presenting a given (sensitive) characteristic. Nevertheless, some studies have addressed situations in which the response to a sensitive question results in a quantitative variable. RR methods are usually developed assuming that the sample is obtained using simple random sampling. However, in practice, most surveys are complex and involve stratification, clustering, and an unequal probability of selection of the sample. Data from complex survey designs require special consideration with regard to the estimation of finite population parameters and to the corresponding variance estimation procedures, due to the reality of significant departures from the simple random sampling assumption. In such a complex survey design, unbiased variance estimation is not easy to calculate, because of clustering and the involvement of (generally complex) second-order inclusion probabilities. In view of these considerations, a new computer program has been developed to provide a method for estimating the parameters of sensitive characteristics under a variety of complex sampling designs.
Has the Regulation of Non-GAAP Disclosures Influenced Managers’ Use of Aggressive Earnings Exclusions?
Authors: Black Ervin L. , Christensen Theodore E. , Kiosse Paraskevi Vicky , Steffen Thomas D.
Published: September 2015

The frequency of non-GAAP (or “pro forma”) reporting has continued to increase in the United States over the last decade, despite preliminary evidence that regulatory intervention led to a decline in non-GAAP disclosures. In particular, the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) and Regulation G (2003) impose strict requirements related to the reporting of non-GAAP numbers. More recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has renewed its emphasis on non-GAAP reporting and declared it a “fraud risk factor.” Given the SEC’s renewed emphasis on non-GAAP disclosures, we explore the extent to which regulation has curbed potentially misleading disclosures by investigating two measures of aggressive non-GAAP reporting. Consistent with the intent of Congress and the SEC, we find some evidence that managers report adjusted earnings metrics more cautiously in the post-SOX regulatory environment. Specifically, the results suggest that firms reporting non-GAAP earnings in the post-SOX period are less likely to (a) exclude recurring items incremental to those excluded by analysts and (b) use non-GAAP exclusions to meet strategic earnings targets on a non-GAAP basis that they miss based on Institutional Brokers’ Estimate System (I/B/E/S) actual earnings. However, we also find that some firms exclude specific recurring items aggressively. Overall, the results suggest that while regulation has generally reduced aggressive non-GAAP reporting, some firms continue to disclose non-GAAP earnings numbers that could be misleading in the post-SOX regulatory environment.
The efficacy of intrauterine injection of human chorionic gonadotropin before embryo transfer in assisted reproductive cycles: Meta-analysis
Authors: Ye Hong , Hu Jing , He Wencong , Zhang Yong , Li Caihong
Published: September 2015

Objectives

A systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) intrauterine injection before embryo transfer on the outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Methods

Searches of PubMed®, EMBASE®, EBSCO, Web of Science®, SCOPUS® and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were conducted to retrieve relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Data were extracted and analysed.

Results

The meta-analysis included five RCTs (hCG group n = 680; control group n = 707). Intrauterine hCG injection significantly increased rates of biochemical, clinical and ongoing pregnancy compared with controls. There were no between-group differences in implantation or miscarriage rates.

Conclusion

Women undergoing IVF/ICSI may benefit from intrauterine hCG injection before embryo transfer.
Value Shifts in Public Sector Human Resource Management: A Congressional Perspective
Authors: Thompson James R.
Published: September 2015

Various scholars have put forth frameworks for interpreting how public sector human resource management (HRM) policies and practices have tracked shifts in societal values. Although such frameworks serve important heuristic purposes, the empirical support offered for the interpretations made is generally thin. This study employs content analysis techniques to assess the relative validity of these different schemes with a focus on the priority assigned to the different values by members of Congress in debates over the federal civil service. According to the results, among the most dominant HRM-related values for the 122-year period (1883-2004) are efficiency, morality, and progress.
Preparation and characterization of nanohydroxyapatite-based nanocomposites derived from immiscible blends of thermoplastic polyurethane and polydimethylsiloxane rubber
Authors: Gopi Jineesh A , Nando Golok B
Published: September 2015

This article holds significance in preparing nanocomposites with reasonably good strength and flexibility. Nanohydroxyapatite (nHA) and polypropylene glycol-coated nHA (PPG-nHA) were synthesized by sol–gel technique. Nanocomposites derived from immiscible blends of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) rubber with nHA as the nanofiller were prepared by melt mixing technique and characterized. Transmission electron microscopic images display a significant extent of dispersion of modified and unmodified nHA in the blend matrices. Scanning electron microscopy results show that the incorporation of PPG-nHA leads to a reduction in the particle size of PDMS in the blends. Dynamic storage modulus against strain sweep study reveals the interaction between the polymer matrix and the filler increased by the surface coating of nHA with PPG. Surface coating of nHA with PPG led to the enhancement of physicomechanical properties of the blend nanocomposites. Thermogravimetric analysis shows the incorporation of PPG-nHA increases the degradation temperature of TPU-PDMS blends. Melt rheological studies of the blends and the blend nanocomposites reveal the shear-thinning behavior of the nanocomposites at all different filler loadings, and this shear thinning effect is more prominent in the case of composites at higher loading of the nanofiller.
Experimental investigation of the cryogenic properties of automatic mechanical transmissions
Authors: Ling Ling , Wang Fei , Xiao Yu-Bo
Published: September 2015

A control variable method was used to study experimentally the properties of automatic mechanical transmission actuators under cryogenic running conditions. Only one temperature variable was changed during the experiment so as to facilitate the comparison between the impacts of the temperature on the execution characteristics of actuators. From a series of cryogenic experiments and data analysis, the cryogenic characteristic curves (e.g. for the clutch, for the throttle, for gear selection and for putting the automatic mechanical transmission into gear) were drawn, providing guidance for subsequent temperature compensation control methods. In addition, given that the phenomenon in which the clutch and the shift gear in the automatic mechanical transmission control system seized up at −40 °C, a cryogenic thawing strategy was then added to the automatic mechanical transmission control system. The results show that this cryogenic thawing strategy can effectively reduce the starting and running resistances of the automatic mechanical transmission at low temperatures, enabling vehicles equipped with the automatic mechanical transmission control system to operate normally at −40 °C and thus enhancing the reliability of these vehicles in low-temperature operation. The present temperature compensation control method and the cryogenic thawing strategy are of great significance for improving the reliability and security of automatic mechanical transmission control at low temperatures.
Prevalence and correlates of suicidal thoughts in patients with neuropsychiatric lupus
Authors: Hajduk A , Nowicka-Sauer K , Smoleńska Ż , Czuszyńska Z , Zdrojewski Z
Published: September 2015

Background

Suicidal ideation is observed in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). No study on this notable phenomenon in neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE) is available so far.

Methods

Participants were 53 consecutive outpatients with NPSLE (48 women; mean age 43.8 years) diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology nomenclature for SLE neuropsychiatric syndromes. A Neuropsychiatric Questionnaire (NP-Q) concerning 45 neurological, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms was used to assess the prevalence of self-perceived neuropsychiatric symptoms. The Modified Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-M) was used to assess the level of anxiety, depression and irritability. Formal neuropsychological examination was performed. Clinical data were collected by means of medical charts review and structured interview.

Results

Suicidal thoughts were present in 25% of patients with NPSLE, irrespective of sex, age, education, work status, disease duration and steroid treatment. Suicidal ideation was connected with elevated levels of depression, anxiety and irritability. In patients with suicidal ideation the prevalence of cognitive, psychiatric and neurological self-perceived problems was significantly higher.

Conclusions

Suicidal thoughts are common in patients with NPSLE. Neuropsychiatric manifestation per se, depression, anxiety and patients’ subjective complaints can be risk factors for suicidal ideation. Screening for suicidal thoughts is vital in routine care of SLE patients.
Metabolic syndrome is associated with decreased circulating endothelial progenitor cells and increased arterial stiffness in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Castejon R , Jimenez-Ortiz C , Rosado S , Tutor-Ureta P , Mellor-Pita S , Yebra-Bango M
Published: September 2015

Objectives

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is highly prevalent in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and it has been associated with increased cardiovascular risk. We examined the contribution of MetS to inflammatory markers, arterial stiffness and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) as surrogates of subclinical atherosclerosis.

Methods

Cardiovascular risk factors, SLE-specific factors and peripheral blood EPCs were assessed in 50 female SLE patients. MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. Simultaneously, atherosclerosis was assessed by measuring the carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) by doppler velocimetry.

Results

Beyond the factors included in the definition, SLE patients with MetS have a significantly higher serum level of uric acid (6.88 ± 2.20 vs 4.45 ± 1.17, p < 0.001) and some inflammatory biomarkers such as homocysteine, IL-8, sICAM-1 or complement molecules. The presence of MetS in our patients was closely linked with a significantly increased patient organ damage score (3.20 ± 1.97 vs 1.60 ± 1.67, p = 0.008), a decreased percentage of circulating EPCs (0.53 ± 0.24 vs 0.85 ± 0.57, p = 0.007) and an increased arterial stiffness (9.89 ± 2.40 vs 7.13 ± 1.51, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

MetS may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis by significantly increasing inflammation levels and arterial stiffness and decreasing circulating EPCs. This finding would justify close monitoring of these patients.
Present-orientation and the outcome of contemplating death
Authors: Ishii Ryo
Published: September 2015

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that the outcome of contemplating death during young adulthood, a change in time attitude, is influenced by present-orientation via the views of death. A total of 199 undergraduates responded to a questionnaire assessing time attitude and present-orientation before and after the assignment to contemplate death. The results of structural equation modeling revealed that present-orientation has a direct effect on the outcome, but the view of death does not have a mediated effect. The results of ANOVA also supported the direct effect of present-orientation. The analysis of the individual description showed that present-orientation has relevance with how to think life after contemplating death. The relationships between contemplating death and young adults’ ego identity which is closely related to time perspective were discussed.
Inner-city and Outer-city Neighbourhoods in Kolkata
Authors: Shaw Annapurna
Published: September 2015

The central areas of the largest metropolitan cities in India are slowing down. Outer suburbs continue to grow but the inner city consisting of the oldest wards is stagnating and even losing population. This trend needs to be studied carefully as its implications are deep and far-reaching. The objective of this article is to focus on what is happening to the internal structure of the city post liberalization by highlighting the changing dynamics of inner-city and outer-city neighbourhoods in Kolkata. The second section provides a brief background to the metropolitan region of Kolkata and the city’s role within this region. Based on ward-level census data for the last 20 years, broad demographic changes undergone by the city of Kolkata are examined in the third section. The drivers of growth and decline and their implications for livability are discussed in the fourth section. In the fifth section, field observations based on a few representative wards are presented. The sixth section concludes the article with policy recommendations.
Design studies on cellular structures with pneumatic artificial muscle inclusions for modulus variation
Authors: Pontecorvo Michael E , Gandhi Farhan S , Niemiec Robert J
Published: September 2015

This article presents a variable modulus cellular structure based on a hexagonal unit cell with pneumatic artificial muscle inclusions. The cell is pin-jointed, loaded in the horizontal direction, with three pneumatic artificial muscles (one vertical pneumatic artificial muscle and two horizontal pneumatic artificial muscles) oriented in an “H” configuration between the vertices of the cell. A method for calculation of the hexagonal cell modulus is introduced, as is an expression for the balance of tensile forces between the horizontal and vertical pneumatic artificial muscles. Simulation is then compared to experimental measurement of the unit cell modulus in the horizontal direction over a pressure range of 682 kPa, and an increase in cell modulus of 200% is demonstrated experimentally. A design study considering parametric variation in cell angle, vertical to inclined wall length ratio, and pneumatic artificial muscle contraction ratios shows that changes in modulus of over 1000% are possible when the pneumatic artificial muscles are pressurized to 1992 kPa. This concept provides a way to create a structural unit cell whose in-plane modulus can be tuned based on the orientation of pneumatic artificial muscles within the cell and the pressure supplied to the individual muscles.
More Benefits Than Problems
Authors: Källenius Edström Sofia , Lindqvist Tiina , Rosengren Kristina
Published: September 2015

Chemotherapy often requires a central venous access such as a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC-line). The purpose of this study is to describe patients’ experiences with the PICC-line during curative oncological treatment. A quantitative cross-sectional study including 36 questionnaires (response rate 97%) comprising 14 questions was used. The results are presented in four dimensions: information, discomfort, anxiety, and restrictions in daily life. Patients are generally satisfied with their PICC-lines compared with peripheral pinpricks; however, some restrictions regarding dressings, movement, and hygiene routines were reported. Moreover, patients described anxiety using the PICC-line regarding lack of functionality and risk of infection. Therefore, patients need information based on everyday life situations, and nurses’ information skills may significantly increase patient safety and patient satisfaction during curative oncological treatment.
“A Thing Apart”
Authors: Wray Helena
Published: September 2015

Although gender offers valuable perspectives for understanding migration law, masculinity has received little attention. In family migration, men are generally regarded as economic agents and family as marginal to their lives, a view that is difficult to dislodge because it serves the purposes of governments anxious to reduce unwanted immigration. In British immigration law, measures have often explicitly or implicitly relied on such gender-based assumptions. Recently, lawyers have utilized the gap between official and unofficial standards by promoting test cases involving either a woman or a vulnerable man but where the principles established will benefit all migrants. Gains may be short-lived however as new ways emerge of making distinctions. These arguments are demonstrated in this article through examination of British immigration control and judicial decisions. The article finds that, in this arena, new understandings of masculinity and fatherhood have yet to make much impact.
Developmental Education’s Impact on Students’ Academic Self-Concept and Self-Efficacy
Authors: Martin Kimberly , Goldwasser Molly , Harris Eugenia
Published: September 2015

Students who are enrolled in developmental courses often persist at lower rates than students who enter college prepared for college-level work. This phenomenon has been attributed to numerous potential factors, including the psychological impact of assignment to developmental courses. This study examines the impact of enrollment in multiple developmental courses on students’ academic self-concept and academic self-efficacy using the difference in differences method of analysis. Students at a small, regional college in the southeast were surveyed at the beginning and end of their first semester of enrollment. Researchers found no negative impact on students’ academic self-concept or self-efficacy as a result of enrollment in multiple developmental courses in the first semester, but students enrolled in multiple developmental courses had lower academic self-concept than peers. There was no difference between the groups for academic self-efficacy.
The HRD Eustress Model
Authors: Hargrove M. Blake , Becker Wendy S. , Hargrove Debra F.
Published: September 2015

Building on existing conceptualizations of stress, we present a model that provides an alternate explanation of the efficacy of human resource development (HRD) interventions. Unlike most stress research that emphasizes the negative side of stress, we view eustress—good stress—as a positive individual and organizational outcome. The HRD eustress model extends theory from the positive psychology and positive organizational behavior literature and positions a role for HRD in creating positive stress as a means to improve performance. We describe how HRD professionals can help challenge employees as a means of attaining individual goals and personal development.
Is Period3 Genotype Associated With Sleep and Recovery in Patients With Disorders of Consciousness?
Authors: Bedini Gloria , Bersano Anna , Sebastiano Davide Rossi , Sattin Davide , Ciaraffa Francesca , Tosetti Valentina , Brenna Greta , Franceschetti Silvana , Ciusani Emilio , Leonardi Matilde , Vela-Gomez Jesus , Boncoraglio Giorgio B. , Parati Eugenio A.
Published: September 2015

Background. Sleep evaluation is increasingly being used as prognostic tool in patients with disorders of consciousness, but, surprisingly, the role of Period3 (Per3) gene polymorphism has never been evaluated. Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of Per3 genotype on sleep quantity and consciousness recovery level in patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC). Methods. In this observational study, we evaluated 71 patients with DOC classified as vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome or minimally conscious state. Demographic and clinical data were collected and a standardised diagnostic workup, including a polysomnographic record, was applied. After informed consent provided by proxy, genomic DNA was obtained and Per3 polymorphism was analysed by polymerase chain reaction to identify 5/5, 4/5, or 4/4 genotype. Results. Per35/5 genotype was found in 12.7% of our DOC patients. The median total Coma Recovery Scale–revised score in Per35/5 carriers was significantly higher than 4/4 genotype (10, range 5-16 vs 7, range 4-11; post hoc P = .036). Moreover, total sleep time seemed to be higher in 5/5 genotype ( 5/5, 221 minutes, range 88-515 minutes; 4/4, 151.5 minutes, range 36-477 minutes; and 4/5, 188 minutes, range 44-422 minutes). Conclusion. For the first time we have shown a possible association between Per3 polymorphism and consciousness recovery level in DOC patients. Even though the exact molecular mechanism has not been defined, we speculate that its effect is mediated by higher total sleep time and slow wave sleep, which would improve the preservation of main cerebral connections.
Optimization of the drying parameters for the short-form spray dryer producing powdered egg with 20% tapioca starch additive
Authors: Masilungan-Manuel Joanna Tess , Manuel Mark Christian E , Lin Po Ting , Soriano Allan N
Published: September 2015

Spray drying is one of the common methods of preserving eggs. A study had shown that addition of 20% tapioca starch to liquid egg prior to drying increases the shelf-life of the powdered product. However, although the said factor has been identified, production in a larger capacity is still a problem. One way to solve this predicament is to identify the optimum drying parameter that would produce a higher yield of dried eggs but retain the quality of the desired product such as the moisture content and water activity. The key issue in optimizing the dryer operation is flow stability wherein the airflow patterns, such as velocity, temperature, and relative humidity, existing inside the drying chamber are considered as the primary factor that influences the histories of the droplets produced. In this article, the author used ANSYS-Fluent version 14.5, a computational fluid dynamics software, to analyze the flow pattern of the continuous phase and to track the particle histories of the disperse phase inside the short-form drying chamber that produces powdered egg with 20% tapioca starch additive. Simulations for the short-form dryer showed that the optimized inlet air temperature and outlet particle temperature were 438 and 385 K, respectively. Based on the results, the calculated moisture content and water activity are 4.55% and 0.02 [Formula: see text], respectively. Note that the critical moisture content and water activity for powdered eggs are 5% and 0.4 [Formula: see text], respectively. The values beyond these limits will cause abrupt spoilage of the dried egg.
Vitamin D as a risk factor for premature atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Hamdy Al-Said Nehal , Abd El Ghaffar Mohamed Nagwa , Salam Randa F. , Fawzy Mary Wadie
Published: September 2015

Background:

Several cardiovascular risk factors have been recognized in patients with diabetes and vitamin D deficiency is emerging as a new risk. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of vitamin D deficiency on the incidence of premature atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods:

A total of 78 patients with type 2 diabetes were subjected to history taking, physical examination, fasting glucose level, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, lipid profile, 25(OH) vitamin D measurement, and carotid Doppler.

Results:

Patients with normal carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) had sufficient vitamin D. Of those with increased CIMT 23.1% had insufficient vitamin D while 76.9% had sufficient vitamin D (six patients had plaques, one of them had vitamin D insufficiency, and the other five patients had sufficient vitamin D). There was a statistically significant difference in the serum level of vitamin D between patients with increased CIMT, and those with normal intima, with a decreased level in the first group. There was a significant negative correlation between vitamin D and fasting blood glucose. There was a statistically significant correlation in left CIMT between the vitamin D sufficiency group and the vitamin D insufficiency group, with higher values in the second group. There was no statistically significant difference in serum cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol in patients with increased CIMT and those with normal intima.

Conclusions:

Decreased vitamin D levels in patients with diabetes lead to increased CIMT. The absence of a statistically significance difference in lipid profile between increased and normal CIMT groups raises the possibility of underlying causes for atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes other than dyslipidemia.
A codex of care: Assessing the Liverpool Hospital Admission and Discharge Protocol for Homeless People
Authors: Whiteford Martin , Simpson Glenn
Published: September 2015

There has recently been an upsurge of interest in the relationship between homelessness and hospital discharge policies and processes in England. In this paper, we investigate the significance of these developments by assessing the Liverpool Hospital Admission and Discharge Protocol for Homeless People. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interviews with hospital-based clinicians and community-based health and social care practitioners, we identify four central features of the Liverpool protocol: (1) local prioritisation, (2) good systems of communication, (3) partnership working and (4) access to appropriate post-discharge care and support. Overall, we contribute to the literature of care coordination by filling a gap in the knowledge base in relation to the multiple and complex needs of homeless people, while delivering important insights into the delivery of integrated care.