bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal and Spatial Interpolation Errors of High-Resolution Modeled Atmospheric Fields
Authors: Privé N. C. , Errico R. M.
Published: December 2015

General circulation models can now be run at very high spatial resolutions to capture finescale features, but saving the full-spatial-resolution output at every model time step is usually not practical because of storage limitations. To reduce storage requirements, the model output may be produced at reduced temporal and/or spatial resolutions. When this reduced-resolution output is then used in situations where spatiotemporal interpolation is required, such as the generation of synthetic observations for observing system simulation experiments, interpolation errors can significantly affect the quality and usefulness of the reduced-resolution model output. Although it is common in practice to record model output at the highest possible spatial resolution with relatively infrequent temporal output, this may not be the best option to minimize interpolation errors. In this study, two examples using a high-resolution global run of the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, version 5 (GEOS-5), are presented to illustrate cases in which the optimal output dataset configurations for interpolation have high temporal frequency but reduced spatial resolutions. Interpolation errors of tropospheric temperature, specific humidity, and wind fields are investigated. The relationship between spatial and temporal output resolutions and interpolation errors is also characterized for the example model.
Evolution of Patients With Immediate Complete Facial Paralysis Secondary to Acoustic Neuroma Surgery
Authors: Pardo-Maza Adriana , Lassaletta Luis , González-Otero Teresa , Roda José María , Moraleda Susana , Arbizu Álvaro , Gavilán Javier
Published: December 2015

Objective:

To study the evolution of patients with immediate complete facial paralysis after acoustic neuroma surgery in different scenarios and assess different facial reanimations techniques.

Methods:

This study included 50 patients with complete facial paralysis immediately after acoustic neuroma surgery. Data were analyzed into 4 groups according to the need and type of reconstruction of the facial nerve, either none, immediate, or on a deferred basis. All patients had intraoperative facial nerve monitoring, and facial nerve function was evaluated according the House-Brackmann (HB) scale.

Results:

Of all patients with immediate total paralysis, no patients achieved totally normal facial function (grade I), and only 5 (10%) recovered to a grade II. For all groups included, the majority of patients (82%) achieved an acceptable final facial function (grade III HB). In this series, only 2 patients remained with a grade VI facial function.

Conclusions:

The possibility of recovering near normal facial function after a grade VI facial paralysis is very low. Procedures like the immediate repair of the facial nerve with an interposed donor graft may provide better facial function in patients with partially injured facial nerve. Even in cases of total section, there are other procedures that can improve the results.
How State Support of Religion Shapes Attitudes Toward Muslim Immigrants
Authors: Helbling Marc , Traunmüller Richard
Published: December 2015

This article argues that governments play a considerable role in shaping citizens’ attitudes toward Muslim immigrants through the way they regulate religion. European democracies are far from secular, and matters of religious regulation cannot be reduced to abstract values or constitutional clauses. Under conditions of high state support of religion, accommodating new religious minorities involves not only the changing of existing rules but also giving up on long-standing traditions and everyday habits. As a result, citizens see religious newcomers as a threat to their way of life and react with animosity to their practices and demands. We support our argument by combining newly designed survey items with original data on religious regulation in 26 Swiss cantons. Our findings contradict the extant literature and have important implications for the democratic challenges in Europe, the quality of modern immigration societies, and the role of religion in democracy more generally.
Who Gives, Who Gains? Progressivity and Preferences
Authors: Beramendi Pablo , Rehm Philipp
Published: December 2015

The extent to which popular support for the welfare state depends on income varies greatly across nations and policy domains. We argue and show formally that these variations—largely overlooked yet essential to understanding the politics of redistribution—reflect in part the design of tax and transfer policies in terms of progressivity. When progressivity is high, politics is perceived by income groups as a zero sum game and conflicts over who gets what intensify. When progressivity is low, and tax contributors and benefit recipients overlap, redistributive struggles become politically less salient. We test these predictions both across nations and across policy domains within a sample of advanced industrial democracies. Our findings indicate that the progressivity of the tax and transfer system is a major determinant of the predictive power of income on preferences for redistribution.
Demanding the Divine? Explaining Cross-National Support for Clerical Control of Politics
Authors: Buckley David
Published: December 2015

What explains cross-national variation in support for religious politics? More precisely, why do even observant believers show uneven demand for clerical control of politics? In contrast to theoretical alternatives, I argue that demand for clerical control of politics is a sign of relative weakness tied to low popular religious participation, which alters the risks and benefits of clerical political involvement. Two social mechanisms explain this relationship in contexts of active religious participation: strong networks between religious and state elites, and high levels of political diversity within religious communities. World Values Survey data provide statistical evidence that (a) support for clerical involvement in politics among regular participators is highest and (b) gaps between high and low religious participation citizens are largest where aggregate participation is lowest. Qualitative evidence regarding the theory’s mechanisms draws on field interviews in the Philippines during recent church–state tension.
Crisis Politics in Europe
Authors: Walter Stefanie
Published: December 2015

When countries face balance-of-payments crises, their policy responses vary widely. This article argues that the choice between the two main options of internal adjustment (i.e., austerity and structural reforms) and external adjustment (i.e., exchange-rate devaluation) depends on how costly each of these strategies is for a country overall. Although the choice of adjustment strategy is thus structurally determined, the level of political conflict associated with crisis management depends on both the national vulnerability profile and partisan interests. Moreover, irrespective of the adjustment strategy, all governments design the specific reforms in ways that shelter their own voters. Empirically, this article uses qualitative case studies and survey data to examine the significant variation in crisis responses, crisis politics, and distributive outcomes of the 2008-2010 global financial crisis in eight Eastern European countries. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the Eastern European experience for crisis politics in the Eurozone crisis.
Can renaming schizophrenia reduce negative attitudes toward patients in Turkey?
Authors: Aker Servet , Böke Ömer , Oğuz Gülay
Published: December 2015

Aim:

To determine the perception of the term schizophrenia among university students.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study was performed in April 2015 with students from Canik Başarı University (Samsun/Turkey). A patient history was first established. We then investigated to what extent students agreed with 10 statements based on that patient history. Three separate questionnaire forms (versions A, B and C), differing only in terms of the diagnosis in the patient in the history, were prepared. The three diagnoses were ‘Schizophrenia’ (version A), ‘A psychiatric disease by the name of Bleuler’s syndrome’ (version B) and ‘Brain tumor’ (version C). The questionnaires were administered in a class environment. In all, 771 students participated.

Results:

Statistically significant differences between the forms were determined in only two statements (‘A.’s disease will represent a problem in A.’s future career’ and ‘A. will in all probability have problems with the law in the future’). While no difference was determined between versions A and B at two-way comparisons, a statistically significant difference was observed between versions A and B and version C.

Conclusion:

No difference was determined between students’ attitudes toward a diagnosis of ‘schizophrenia’ and one of ‘a psychiatric disease known as Bleuler’s syndrome’. The focus in preventing stigmatization of schizophrenia should not concentrate on a name change alone. Changing the name schizophrenia may be of no use unless public ignorance and fear of psychiatric diseases can also be overcome.
Postsecular theology: Daly, Hampson, Buber, and Gordon
Authors: Lahav Hagar
Published: December 2015

Rooted in the postsecular turn of the study of religion and society, postsecular theology is conceptualized in this article as an umbrella term for theologies offering hybrid interpretations of religiosity and spirituality within a framework that adopts numerous ostensibly secular values and perceptions. In this article, I apply postsecular theological reading to two pairs of thinkers: post-Christian feminist theologians Mary Daly and Daphne Hampson and non-Orthodox Jewish philosophers A. D. Gordon and Martin Buber. Assessing the similarities between them, I sketch the details of their common “postsecular” ground, aiming at enrichment of our understanding of postsecular theology. I then discuss differences between the theologians from a feminist perspective, suggesting that Daly’s and Hampson’s feminist sensitivity exposes Buber’s and Gordon’s gender blindness, while Buber and Gordon introduce Jewish-oriented ideas that may enrich the Christian-dominated field of postsecular feminist theology.
The Absent Victim: Schools’ Assessment of the “Victimization Process”
Authors: Odenbring Ylva , Johansson Thomas , Hammarén Nils , Lunneblad Johannes
Published: December 2015

The present study examines how a number of Swedish schools define and categorize students who have been exposed to different forms of violent or abusive acts in school. The study will shed light on how categorizations and forms of explanation used in the schools by professionals emerge from central institutional and professional discourses. The data are gathered from interviews with key officials and observations from school health team meetings. The results indicate a tendency toward more and detailed legal regulations concerning how schools act and react in relation to violent behavior.
The right to politics and republican non-domination
Authors: Azmanova Albena
Published: December 2015

Against pronouncements of the recent demise of both democracy and the political, I maintain that there is, rather, something amiss with the process of politicization in which social grievances are translated into matters of political concern and become objects of policy-making. I therefore propose to seek an antidote to the de-politicizing tendencies of our age by reanimating the mechanism that transmits social conflicts and grievances into politics. To that purpose, I formulate the notion of a ‘fundamental right to politics’ as the opposite of the techne of policy-making. I articulate this right via a reconstruction of the logical presuppositions of democracy as collective self-authorship. I then recast the concept of non-domination by discerning two trajectories of domination – ‘relational’ and ‘systemic’ ones, to argue that in a viable democracy that makes full use of the right to politics, the dynamics of politicization should take place along both trajectories; currently, however, matters of systemic injustice get translated in relational terms and politicized as concerns for inclusion into and distribution within the existing system of social relations, rather than its radical overhaul.
Keep adding. On kill lists, drone warfare and the politics of databases
Authors: Weber Jutta
Published: December 2015

Alongside drones and Special Forces, the ‘disposition matrix’ – a kill/capture list and database – is a key device in the US government’s global ‘war on terror’, in which targeting individuals has become increasingly institutionalized. The majority of studies to date have focused on the human world of the military, insurgents and policy makers with a limited access to reliable knowledge. Using insights from technoscience and software studies, I seek here to develop a material-based perspective focusing on the neglected non-human world of software artefacts, which codify, standardize and sort our world. I will first present available knowledge about the ‘disposition matrix’ and the ‘targeting methodology’. Second, I will elaborate on the materiality of databases and data mining algorithms, showing how their technorationality is built on recombination, which fosters the production of possible future targets for a data-driven killing apparatus, in which human and non-human decision-making processes are intimately intertwined. In the third part of my article, I will discuss how computational actors make the messy targeting process more opaque and less traceable – not at least because of their underlying technorationality with its open-ended search heuristics – which advances a possibilistic, preemptive culture of technosecurity.
Ultrasound-Guided Versus Blind Subacromial Corticosteroid Injections for Subacromial Impingement Syndrome
Authors: Cole Brandi F. , Peters Karin S. , Hackett Lisa , Murrell George A.C.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Subacromial corticosteroid injections are frequently performed for impingement syndrome of the shoulder. To improve the accuracy of injections, ultrasound can be used.

Purpose:

To assess the clinical outcome of ultrasound-guided subacromial injections compared with blind subacromial injections for subacromial impingement syndrome.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled clinical trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods:

A total of 56 shoulders with subacromial impingement syndrome were randomized into 2 groups: 28 shoulders received a subacromial corticosteroid injection with ultrasound guidance (ultrasound group), and 28 shoulders received a subacromial corticosteroid injection without ultrasound guidance (blind group). The visual analog scale (VAS) for pain with overhead activities and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score were obtained before the injection and at 6 weeks after the injection.

Results:

The VAS score for pain with overhead activities decreased from 59 ± 5 mm (mean ± SEM) before the injection to 33 ± 6 mm at 6 weeks after the injection in the ultrasound group ( P < .001) and from 63 ± 4 mm to 39 ± 6 mm, respectively, in the blind group ( P < .001). The decrease in the VAS score was not significantly different between the groups ( P > .999). The ASES score increased from 57 ± 2 before the injection to 68 ± 3 at 6 weeks after the injection in the ultrasound group ( P < .01) and from 54 ± 3 before the injection to 65 ± 4 after the injection in the blind group ( P < .01), with no significant difference between the groups ( P = .7). Four shoulders (14%) in the ultrasound group and 6 shoulders (21%) in the blind group eventually needed surgery ( P = .7).

Conclusion:

No significant differences were found in the clinical outcome when comparing ultrasound-guided subacromial injections to blind subacromial injections for subacromial impingement syndrome.

Clinical Trial Registration:

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12615000562572
Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation of the Femoral Trochlea
Authors: Cameron James I. , Pulido Pamela A. , McCauley Julie C. , Bugbee William D.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation is a recognized treatment modality for cartilage damage in the knee. Few reports are available on outcomes of OCA in the patellofemoral joint, and there are no reports on lesions isolated to the femoral trochlea.

Purpose:

To evaluate graft survivorship and clinical outcomes in patients who had an OCA to the femoral trochlea.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

An OCA database was used to identify 29 knees in 28 patients (mean age, 30.2 years; range, 12-47 years; 8 female, 20 male) who were treated with a fresh OCA transplant limited to the femoral trochlea. The primary outcome was graft survivorship, and the minimum follow-up was 2 years. Clinical outcomes were assessed by the modified Merle d’Aubigné-Postel (18-point) score; Knee Society function (KS-F) score; International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) pain, function, and total scores; and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score. The OCA patient satisfaction score (5-point scale from extremely satisfied to dissatisfied) was also reported.

Results:

The mean follow-up period was 7.0 years (range, 2.1-19.9 years). Graft survivorship was 100% at 5 years and 91.7% at 10 years. One patient was converted to a total knee arthroplasty 7.6 years after OCA surgery. The mean modified Merle d’Aubigné-Postel score improved from 13.0 to 16.1, the mean KS-F score from 65.6 to 85.2, and the mean IKDC total score from 38.5 to 71.9; the mean UCLA score was 7.9 postoperatively. Eighty-nine percent of patients were extremely satisfied or satisfied with the outcome of surgery.

Conclusion:

Fresh OCA transplantation resulted in excellent clinical outcomes in this patient cohort with articular cartilage damage to the femoral trochlea. The procedure resulted in improved pain and function and high patient satisfaction.
Biomechanical Comparison of Ulnar Collateral Ligament Repair With Internal Bracing Versus Modified Jobe Reconstruction
Authors: Dugas Jeffrey R. , Walters Brian L. , Beason David P. , Fleisig Glenn S. , Chronister Justin E.
Published: December 2015

Background:

The number of throwing athletes with ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries has increased recently, with a seemingly exponential increase of such injuries in adolescents. In cases of acute proximal or distal UCL insertion injuries or in partial-thickness injuries that do not respond to nonoperative management, UCL repair and augmentation rather than reconstruction may be a viable option.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to biomechanically compare a new technique of augmented UCL repair versus a typical modified Jobe UCL reconstruction technique. The hypotheses were that (1) the repaired specimens would have less gap formation and a higher maximal torque to failure compared with the reconstruction group, and (2) while both groups would show an increase in gap formation after the simulated tear, the repair group would return closer to the native values compared with the reconstruction group.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Nine matched pairs of cadaveric arms were dissected to expose the UCL. Each elbow was mounted on a test frame at 90° of flexion. A cyclic valgus rotational torque was applied to the humerus with the UCL in its intact state and repeated in its surgically torn state. Finally, each specimen received either an augmented repair or reconstruction and was again put through the cyclic protocol, followed by a torque to failure.

Results:

Gap formation (0.51 ± 0.22 mm) in the torn state for the repair group was significantly higher ( P = .04) than in the intact state (0.33 ± 0.12 mm). After the procedures, the repair group (0.35 ± 0.16 mm) showed greater resistance to gapping ( P = .03) compared with the reconstruction group (0.53 ± 0.23 mm). No statistical differences were found for the maximum torque at failure, torsional stiffness, or gap formation during the failure test.

Conclusion:

The current study shows that this novel technique of augmented UCL repair replicates the time-zero failure strength of traditional graft reconstruction and appears to be more resistant to gapping at low cyclic loads.

Clinical Relevance:

This study demonstrates that this novel technique has important biomechanical properties, including time-zero strength and ultimate failure load, compared with the gold standard of UCL reconstruction. In some throwing athletes, this technique may supplant standard UCL reconstruction as the procedure of choice.
Biomechanical Effects of Capsular Shift in the Treatment of Hip Microinstability
Authors: Jackson Timothy J. , Peterson Alexander B. , Akeda Masaki , Estess Allyson , McGarry Michelle H. , Adamson Gregory J. , Lee Thay Q.
Published: December 2015

Background:

A capsular shift procedure has been described for the treatment of hip instability; however, the biomechanical effects of such a shift are unknown.

Purpose:

To create a cadaveric model of hip capsule laxity and evaluate the biomechanical effects of a capsular shift used to treat hip instability on this model.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Eight cadaveric hips with an average age of 58.5 years were tested with a custom hip testing system in 6 conditions: intact, vented, instability, capsulotomy, side-to-side repair, and capsular shift. To create the hip model, the capsule was stretched in extension under 35 N·m of torque for 1 hour in neutral rotation. Measurements included internal and external rotation with 1.5 N·m of torque at 5 positions: 5° of extension and 0°, 15°, 30°, and 45° of flexion for each of the above conditions. The degree of maximum extension with 5 N·m of torque and the amount of femoral distraction with 40 N and 80 N of force were measured. Statistical analysis was performed by use of repeated-measures analysis of variance with Tukey post hoc analysis.

Results:

The instability state significantly increased internal rotation at all flexion angles and increased distraction compared with the intact state. The capsulotomy condition resulted in significantly increased external rotation and internal rotation at all positions, increased distraction, and maximum extension compared with the intact state. The side-to-side repair condition restored internal rotation back to the instability state but not to the intact state at 5° of extension and 0° of flexion. The capsular shift state significantly decreased internal rotation compared with the instability state at 5° of extension and 0° and 15° of flexion. The capsular shift and side-to-side repair conditions had similar effects on external rotation at all flexion-extension positions. The capsular shift state decreased distraction and maximum extension compared with the instability state, but the side-to-side repair state did not.

Conclusion:

The hip capsular instability model was shown to have significantly greater total range of motion, external rotation, and extension compared with the intact condition. The greatest effects of capsular shift are seen with internal rotation, maximum extension, and distraction, with minimal effect on external rotation compared with the side-to side repair state.

Clinical Relevance:

The biomechanical effects of the capsular shift procedure indicate that it can be used to treat hip capsular laxity by decreasing extension and distraction with minimal effect on external rotation.
Alexander Disease
Authors: Bonthius Daniel J. , Karacay Bahri
Published: December 2015

Alexander disease is a genetically induced leukodystrophy, due to dominant mutations in the glial fibrillary acidic protein ( GFAP ) gene, causing dysfunction of astrocytes. We have identified a novel GFAP mutation, associated with a novel phenotype for Alexander disease. A boy with global developmental delay and hypertonia was found to have a leukodystrophy. Genetic analysis revealed a heterozygous point mutation in exon 6 of the GFAP gene. The guanine-to-adenine change causes substitution of the normal glutamic acid codon (GAG) with a mutant lysine codon (AAG) at position 312 (E312 K mutation). At the age of 4 years, the child developed epilepsia partialis continua, consisting of unabating motor seizures involving the unilateral perioral muscles. Epilepsia partialis continua has not previously been reported in association with Alexander disease. Whether and how the E312 K mutation produces pathologic changes and clinical signs that are unique from other Alexander disease–inducing mutations in GFAP remain to be determined.
Manager Responses to Employee Dissent About Psychological Contract Breach
Authors: De Ruiter Melanie , Schalk René , Blomme Robert J.
Published: December 2015

Communication scholars have made significant headway toward understanding the upward dissent process, conceptualizing different types of upward dissent strategies and investigating the use of these strategies. However, scholars have hardly considered the dyadic process associated with upward dissent strategies and manager responses to these strategies, or how the nature of dissent may influence the dissent process. We describe the dissent process in relation to personal-advantage dissent. We focus on a specific trigger—psychological contract breach (PCB)— because this negative workplace event is regularly experienced among employees and employees are likely to express their dissatisfaction about PCB to their managers. We present a dyadic process model that explains how employee–manager interactions following an employee’s initial dissent about PCB evolve over time.
Synthesis and characterization of cardo-based phosphorous–containing flame-retardant aromatic polyesters
Authors: Latha G , Natarajan M , Murugavel SC
Published: December 2015

Phosphorous-containing cardo polyesters were synthesized by interfacial polycondensation of phenylphosphonic dichloride with various bisphenols using a phase-transfer catalyst at ambient temperature. The structure of the synthesized polymers was confirmed using Fourier transform infrared and proton, carbon 13, and phosphorous 31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques. The thermal properties of the polymers were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry under nitrogen atmosphere. All the polyesters showed high thermal stability, the maximum decomposition temperature being in the range of 475–523°C. The TGA data showed that all the synthesized phosphorous-containing polyesters produce high char yield at 700°C due to the presence of phosphorous atom in the polymer chain and hence have good flame-retardant properties. The synthesized phosphorus-containing polyesters have tensile strength in the range of 38.2–48 MPa, and the percentage of elongation at breaks of 3.3–16.8. The flame retardancy of all synthesized polymers was investigated by limiting oxygen index (LOI) and vertical burning (UL-94) tests. The results showed that the synthesized polymers have excellent flame retardancy, that is, the polymer samples achieved an increased UL-94 rating and the LOI values were in the range of 28.5–34. Broido model has been used to study the thermal degradation kinetic parameters.
Pulse-echo ultrasound transit time spectroscopy: A comparison of experimental measurement and simulation prediction
Authors: Wille Marie-Luise , Almualimi Majdi A , Langton Christian M
Published: December 2015

Considering ultrasound propagation through complex composite media as an array of parallel sonic rays, a comparison of computer-simulated prediction with experimental data has previously been reported for transmission mode (where one transducer serves as transmitter, the other as receiver) in a series of 10 acrylic step-wedge samples, immersed in water, exhibiting varying degrees of transit time inhomogeneity. In this study, the same samples were used but in pulse-echo mode, where the same ultrasound transducer served as both transmitter and receiver, detecting both ‘primary’ (internal sample interface) and ‘secondary’ (external sample interface) echoes. A transit time spectrum was derived, describing the proportion of sonic rays with a particular transit time. A computer simulation was performed to predict the transit time and amplitude of various echoes created, and compared with experimental data. Applying an amplitude-tolerance analysis, 91.7% ± 3.7% of the simulated data were within ±1 standard deviation of the experimentally measured amplitude-time data. Correlation of predicted and experimental transit time spectra provided coefficients of determination (R2%) ranging from 100.0% to 96.8% for the various samples tested. The results acquired from this study provide good evidence for the concept of parallel sonic rays. Furthermore, deconvolution of experimental input and output signals has been shown to provide an effective method to identify echoes otherwise lost due to phase cancellation. Potential applications of pulse-echo ultrasound transit time spectroscopy include improvement of ultrasound image fidelity by improving spatial resolution and reducing phase interference artefacts.
Evaluation of ventricular wall stress and cardiac function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Scardulla Francesco , Rinaudo Antonino , Pasta Salvatore , Scardulla Cesare
Published: December 2015

Dilated cardiomyopathy is a heart disease characterized by both left ventricular dilatation and left ventricular systolic dysfunction, leading to cardiac remodeling and ultimately heart failure. We aimed to investigate the effect of dilated cardiomyopathy on the pump performance and myocardial wall mechanics using patient-specific finite element analysis. Results evinced pronounced end-systolic wall stress on left ventricular wall of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy as compared to that of normal hearts. In dilated cardiomyopathy, both end-diastolic and end-systolic pressure–volume relationships of left ventricle and right ventricle were shifted to the right compared to controls, suggesting reduced myocardial contractility. We hereby propose that finite element analysis represents a useful tool to assess the myocardial wall stress and cardiac work, which are responsible for progressive left ventricular deterioration and poor clinical course.
Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic optimization for design of a forward-curved blades centrifugal fan
Authors: Heo Man-Woong , Kim Jin-Hyuk , Seo Tae-Wan , Kim Kwang-Yong
Published: December 2015

This paper presents a multidisciplinary optimization procedure for enhancing the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance of a forward-curved blade centrifugal fan for residential ventilation. Flow analysis in a forward-curved blade centrifugal fan was conducted by solving three-dimensional steady and unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations using the shear stress transport turbulence model. On the basis of the aerodynamic sources extracted from the unsteady flow, aeroacoustic analysis was implemented in a finite/infinite element method by solving the variational formulation of Lighthill’s analogy. Experiments were performed to obtain aerodynamic and aeroacoustic measurements for validation of numerical results. The single- and multi-objective optimizations were performed sequentially. The single-objective optimization was carried out to improve the efficiency of the fan using a radial basis neural network surrogate model with four design variables defining the scroll cut-off angle, scroll diffuser expansion angle, diameter ratio of the impeller, and blade exit angle. Multi-objective optimization based on the single-objective optimization result was carried out to simultaneously improve the efficiency and reduce the sound pressure through a hybrid multi-objective evolutionary algorithm coupled with a response surface approximation surrogate model with two design variables defining the scroll cut-off radius and distance. These objective functions were accessed numerically through three-dimensional aerodynamic and aeroacoustic analyses at the design points sampled by Latin hypercube sampling in the design space. Arbitrary selected optimum designs in the Pareto-optimal solutions yielded significant increases in efficiency and decreases in the sound pressure level compared to the reference design.
Experimental subjects and partial truth telling during technological change in radiotherapy
Authors: Wood Lisa Anne
Published: December 2015

Background:

Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), the focus of a number of radiotherapy fundraising campaigns in the mid-2000s, was introduced accompanied by a fanfare of newness and discourses of ‘hope’, ‘inspiring clinical confidence’ and ‘accuracy’. The CBCT system, used in the delivery of Radiotherapy treatment, was incorporated into strategic planning priorities across the United Kingdom based on a rationale of self-evidence. During this time, the way in which the new system was discussed with patients was variable.

Research objectives:

The purpose of this study was to uncover how experimental practices were embedded and enacted during the use of a new technological system, specifically relating to how patients were enrolled during introductory phases of technology adoption.

Research design and context:

Drawing on ethnographic work and interviews with staff members in one hospital, the study examines staff discussions prior to the introduction of the Cone-Beam CT imaging system in radiotherapy. It considers how staff views were at odds with practices that occurred during the ‘experimental’ stages of use and how these were shared with patients.

Ethical considerations:

Approval was obtained from the Local National Health Service Research Ethics Committee and National Health Service Main Research Ethics Committee (REC 07/Q1308/16) for the interview and ethnographic stages, respectively. All names have been changed and participants signed a consent form.

Findings:

Staff reported a lack of evidence, absence of proof and perturbing doubts with the X-ray volumetric imaging. Both patients’ and practitioners’ partial understanding about the risks and benefits of the system created incommensurable ideas regarding its use and what the patients’ role was during these introductory stages.

Conclusion:

Maintaining partial truth telling renders patients’ experiences of new treatment at odds with ‘experimental’ practice. This has wide-reaching implications for practice.
Store Choice Behaviour for Consumer Durables in NCT-Delhi
Authors: Gupta Anoop Kumar , Shukla A.V.
Published: December 2015

Retail shopping behaviour is an important area for market researchers. Most of the research has focused on studying the effect of store characteristics on store choice behaviour. Studies for understanding the effect of customer characteristics on store choice behaviour are few. Besides this, these studies were largely done in the context of food and grocery and apparel retailing. The purpose of this study is to explore whether demographic variables, such as gender, occupation and age, affect store choice behaviour for consumer durable goods. Data were collected by a structured questionnaire from 177 respondents in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Discriminant analysis of the collected data was done to understand if customers could be grouped on the basis of their characteristics of gender, occupation and age for store choice behaviour. Results indicate that gender and occupation do not make significant differences, whereas age has a significant effect on store choice behaviour for consumer durable goods. Possible implication for retailer’s strategy is that the market can be segmented on the basis of age groups. It is also revealed that shoppers of distinct age groups have different preferences for online stores and that they rely on the Internet to gather information about retail stores.
Global Environmental Agenda: The Neoliberal Institutional Perspective
Authors: Saryal Rajnish
Published: December 2015

Environmentalism as a global agenda has gained currency particularly in the aftermath of 1970s when some international events on environmental issues took place around the world. The diverse theoretical perspectives have been advanced to understand the rise of environmental agenda at global level and its consequential impact on sovereign states. It has increasingly been claimed by the scholars of neoliberal institutional theory that the environmental problems are such issues that can attract the attention of the whole world and generate cooperation among nation-states for its solution. But how far this assertion is true is the test of time. This article is a benign step in the direction of conducting this test. The neoliberal institutional theory, which is fully supportive of this claim, has been systematically analyzed in this article and its basic assumptions have been juxtaposed with the real-world situation arising out of environmental crisis to point out how state’s behavior/sovereignty gets modified to accommodate burden resulted from global environmental crisis. It has been observed in this article that in order to fully appraise the global environmental agenda, the basic assumptions of neoliberal institutional theory, which have by and large remained successful in explaining the global environmental agenda, need to be refined and strengthened further.
Determinants of Palliative Care Utilization Among Patients Hospitalized With Metastatic Gastrointestinal Malignancies
Authors: Okafor Philip N. , Stobaugh Derrick J. , Nnadi Augustine K. , Talwalkar Jayant A.
Published: December 2015

Background:

Gastrointestinal tract cancers account for a significant proportion of the national cancer burden.

Aim:

We sought to explore patient- and hospital-level determinants of palliative care utilization among patients hospitalized with metastatic gastrointestinal tract cancers using a national database.

Methods:

An analysis of the 2012 National Inpatient Sample was performed. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes were used to identify hospital discharges associated with metastatic digestive tract cancers and patient/hospital covariates for inclusion in a logistic regression model. Total charges and length of stay were analyzed in a linear regression model.

Results:

Compared to males, females were more likely to receive inpatient palliative care (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.12, P = .002). No difference was seen between white and Asian patients (adjusted OR 1.2, P = .11) or Native Americans patients (adjusted OR 1.4, P = .22). However, relative to white patients, African Americans (adjusted OR 1.13, P = .02) and Hispanics (adjusted OR 1.25, P = .001) had significantly higher odds of inpatient palliative care. Medicare patients were least likely to receive palliative care compared to those with Medicaid or commercial payers. Length of stay during these hospitalizations was longer in African Americans ( P = .0001), Asians ( P = .0001), and Native Americans ( P = .03) compared to white patients. No difference was seen when total charges were compared between white and African American patients ( P = .08). Conversely, total charges were higher in Hispanics ( P = .005) and Asians ( P = .001) relative to white patients.

Conclusion:

Gender and racial differences exist in utilization of inpatient palliative care among patients hospitalized with metastatic gastrointestinal tract cancers.
Patient Safety Indicators for Judging Hospital Performance
Authors: Kubasiak John C. , Francescatti Amanda B. , Behal Raj , Myers Jonathan A.
Published: December 2015

Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs) were originally intended for use as a screen for quality of care but are now being used to rank hospitals and to modify hospital reimbursement. PSI data are dependent on accuracy of clinical documentation and coding. Information on whether a PSI event is inherent to the nature of the operation or posed a significant impact on the outcome is lacking. Cases for one year at a single academic center were queried. Cases with target PSIs were included (n = 136). Cases were evaluated for both the inherent nature and significance of injury. Both patient safety officers agreed that the PSI event was inherent to the disease process, and thus, the procedure and was not a marker of patient safety (false positive) in 11.8% to 33.3% of cases. Both reviewers agreed that the events were not clinically significant in 11.8% to 30.4% of cases. This study found high false-positive rates and only moderate interrater reliability for 3 PSIs. PSIs as currently reported are not reliable enough to be utilized for ranking.
Interpretation and Objectivity
Authors: Gimbel Edward W.
Published: December 2015

In this essay, I argue that a common reading of Max Weber’s social science and its treatment of interpretation as either insufficiently or excessively “scientific” on the model of the natural sciences is inadequate. Freed from the either/or opposition of naturalism and humanism, and read through the philosophical hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer, Weber can be read as offering a way forward for the social sciences that embraces both the subjective orientation of social scientists and the objective aspirations of social science.
Suffering in Silence
Authors: Petersen Anne Berit , Tsoh Janice Y. , Nguyen Tung T. , McPhee Stephen J. , Burke Nancy J.
Published: December 2015

The goal of this project was to explore family communication dynamics and their implications for smoking cessation. We conducted 39 in-depth dyadic and individual qualitative interviews with 13 immigrant smoker–family member pairs of Vietnamese ( n = 9 dyads, 18 individuals) and Chinese ( n = 4 dyads, 8 individuals) descent, including seven current and six former smokers and 13 family members. All 13 dyadic and 26 individual interviews were analyzed using a collaborative crystallization process as well as grounded theory methods. We identified three interrelated pathways by which tobacco use in immigrant Vietnamese and Chinese families impacts family processes and communication dynamics. Using a two-dimensional model, we illustrate how the shared consequences of these pathways can contribute to a dynamic of avoidance and noncommunication, resulting in individual family members “suffering in silence” and ultimately smoking being reinforced. We discuss the implications of these findings for development of smoking cessation interventions.
Blocking α5β1 Integrin Attenuates sCD40L-Mediated Platelet Activation
Authors: Simic Damir , Bogdan Nancy , Teng Fang , Otieno Monicah
Published: December 2015

The soluble form of CD40L (sCD40L) is a platelet-derived mediator that links inflammation, hemostasis, and vascular dysfunction. Indeed, blockade of CD40L by neutralizing antibodies or genetic disruption in mice prevents atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis. Until recently, it was believed that CD40 and αIIbβ3 were the only receptors on platelets responsible for binding sCD40L, leading to platelet activation and initiation of thrombotic events. Recent findings showed α5β1 integrin as a novel platelet sCD40L receptor, with an unknown function. For the first time, using anti-α5β1 blocking antibodies, we show that sCD40L/α5β1 interaction leads to platelet activation as evaluated in the human whole blood. Establishing α5β1 integrin’s role in platelet activation, and therefore thrombosis will help further shed light on the etiology of thrombotic disease.
Effectiveness of a Non-Classroom News Media Literacy Intervention Among Different Undergraduate Populations
Authors: Vraga Emily K. , Tully Melissa
Published: December 2015

In this study, we test the effectiveness of a short news media literacy message with audiences who differ in their media literacy education. We manipulate whether individuals are exposed to a news media literacy public service announcement (PSA) immediately before viewing a political program among two groups: students enrolled in media education courses versus students in a non-media course. Findings suggest that the ability of media literacy messages to influence students’ processing of the subsequent political program is conditioned by their preexisting media literacy education. This study provides insights for considering how classroom and non-classroom media literacy interventions can work together to improve media literacy.
Lifetime Physical and Sexual Abuse and Self-Harm in Women With Severe Mental Illness
Authors: O’Hare Thomas , Shen Ce , Sherrer Margaret V.
Published: December 2015

In a sample of 242 women in treatment for severe mental illness (SMI), we used regression analysis to test the hypothesis that lifetime physical and sexual abuse would correlate with self-harm behaviors (thoughts of self-harm and suicide, self-harming behaviors, and suicide attempts) when controlling for psychiatric symptoms, substance abuse, and negative appraisals of trauma. Lifetime physical abuse and alcohol use were the only significant factors in the model. Women with SMI should be screened regularly for physical abuse, alcohol use, as well as thoughts and behaviors related to self-harming behaviors. Limitations of the study include its cross-sectional design.
Adorno reading and writing sociology
Authors: Fuller Brian W.
Published: December 2015

In the context of recent attempts to more adequately engage with Adorno’s approach to sociology and social theory, this article argues that such a project requires a more complete understanding of the philosophical basis of Adorno’s critical material perspective on knowledge and language. In particular, the interpretation of Adorno within sociology has been hampered by a fundamental misunderstanding regarding his methodology of critique and composition, which prioritizes the content of Adorno’s claims regarding sociology and social theory, over their rhetorical and performative character. This character is identifiable in Adorno’s prose, and grasped through a close attention to his account of the negative dialectic. Using Bernstein’s articulation of the ‘complex concept’ as an analytical framework, and Adorno’s introduction to Durkheim as its material, the article argues that the inability to grasp the rhetorical character of Adorno’s critical interpretive approach prevents an understanding of his potential relevance for sociology and social theory.