bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Student engagement in the Caribbean region: Exploring its role in the motivation and achievement of Jamaican middle school students
Authors: Martin Tamica G. , Martin Andrew J. , Evans Paul
Published: April 2017

Using an expectancy-value framework, the present investigation is the first to explore the generality of this theorizing and research in the emerging regional context of the Caribbean. Given high underachievement in the Caribbean region, we addressed the need to better understand the role of engagement in students’ academic motivation and achievement. A total of 585 year 6 to 9 students from five Jamaican schools responded to a survey assessing their motivation milieu (academic expectations and values held by their parents, teachers, and peers), their self-motivation (expectancies and values), behavioral engagement (class participation, homework completion, school absenteeism), and their academic achievement (in mathematics, language arts, and science). Structural equation modeling showed that (a) students’ own motivation was influenced by their motivation milieu, and (b) students’ behavioral engagement significantly mediated the relationship between their motivation and their academic achievement. Findings confirm the generality of behavioral engagement effects among students in the developing Caribbean region and represent a novel contribution to the study of developing and emerging educational contexts more broadly.
Facial presentations of primary headache disorders
Authors: Sharav Yair , Katsarava Zaza , Charles Andrew
Published: April 2017

Background

Many patients with mid-face or lower face craniofacial pain are diagnosed, based on accompanying signs and symptoms and features other than location, as either atypical migraines or atypical TACs. Distinguishing features of headache disorders as a cause of facial pain include the temporal pattern of pain, associated symptoms including light and sound sensitivity and nausea, cranial autonomic symptoms, and the lack of local triggering among others.

Results

An intraoral neurovascular pain has been observed, and was termed neurovascular orofacial pain (NVOP). Due to its location, and signs imitating dental pulpitis, it has great diagnostic and therapeutic importance for differentiating NVOP from dental pathology. The hypothesized mechanism is neurogenic inflammatory activation within the space confined by dentine around the dental pulp, expressed in strong paroxysmal pain and typical allodynia to cold foods.

Conclusion

Facial manifestations of headache disorders and primary facial pain disorders share common trigeminal nerve input, yet they are highly distinct disorders. Somatotopic segregation may occur at the level of the trigeminal nucleus, thalamus, and somatosensory cortex, and distinct ionic or neurochemical signaling pathways may be involved. Further investigation of facial presentations of headache disorders has the potential to provide new insight into the interface between headache and facial pain.
Indigenous (Māori) perspectives on abortion in New Zealand
Authors: Le Grice Jade Sophia , Braun Virginia
Published: April 2017

Abortion is an under-researched, sensitive and politicised topic, but in the New Zealand context, there is a conspicuous dearth of exploratory research on Indigenous (Māori) perspectives on abortion, despite some indication that Māori seek abortion services. International research that attends to the socio-cultural context of abortion evidences a fascinating variability of perspectives and attitudes about abortion, with some commonalities and patterns of resistance. Within accounts of Māori historical practice of abortion, there is some evidence of variability, and we sought to better understand the contemporary socio-cultural context surrounding Māori perspectives on abortion. As part of an Indigenous feminist (Mana Wāhine) interview study with 43 participants (26 women, 17 men), thematic analysis of participants’ talk about abortion identified notions regarding “protection of a new life”, “woman’s individual choice”, and “extended family investment and support” as foregrounded themes. We describe a rich and nuanced account of Māori perspectives on abortion, describing how these are structurally embedded within particular socio-historical and socio-cultural contexts, including Māori ideologies and theories, colonisation and Christianity, and women’s rights activism.
Conscience, conscientious objection, and nursing: A concept analysis
Authors: Lamb Christina , Evans Marilyn , Babenko-Mould Yolanda , Wong Carol A , Kirkwood Ken W
Published: April 2017

Background:

Ethical nursing practice is increasingly challenging, and strategies for addressing ethical dilemmas are needed to support nurses’ ethical care provision. Conscientious objection is one such strategy for addressing nurses’ personal, ethical conflicts, at times associated with conscience. Exploring both conscience and conscientious objection provides understanding regarding their implications for ethical nursing practice, research, and education.

Research aim:

To analyze the concepts of conscience and conscientious objection in the context of nurses.

Design:

Concept analysis using the method by Walker and Avant.

Research context:

Data were retrieved from Philosopher’s Index, PubMed, and CINAHL with no date restrictions.

Ethical consideration:

This analysis was carried out per established, scientific guidelines.

Findings:

Ethical concepts are integral to nursing ethics, yet little is known about conscientious objection in relation to conscience for nurses. Of note, both concepts are well established in ethics literature, addressed in various nursing codes of ethics and regulatory bodies, but the meaning they hold for nurses and the impact they have on nursing education and practice remain unclear.

Discussion and conclusion:

This article discusses the relevance of conscience and conscientious objection to ethical nursing practice and proposes a model case to show how they can be appreciated in the context of nurses. Conscientious objection is an option for ethical transparency for nurses but is situated in contentious discussions over its use and has yet to be fully understood for nursing practice. Conscience is an element in need of more exploration in the context of conscientious objection. Further research is warranted to understand how nurses respond to conscience concerns in morally, pluralistic nursing contexts.
Performance of Indian IPOs: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Handa Rekha , Singh Balwinder
Published: April 2017

The present research study contributes to the extant literature on underpricing rather uniquely by addressing the under-researched linkage of corporate governance to underpricing. The originality of this effort also lies in being one of the initial efforts of exploring governance in context of initial public offering (IPO) underpricing in Indian settings. The study comprises an empirical analysis of 404 Indian IPOs studied for their board structures and ownership attributes using IPO prospectuses. Drawing support from the signalling theory, the variables board size and board committees exhibit a significant positive relationship to the IPO returns on the listing day. In Indian markets characterized by concentrated family-owned firms, promoter ownership does work as an effective signal for investors who take cues of firm potential from ownership patterns. Corporate governance measures have a miniscule contribution in explaining the underpricing of Indian IPOs and indicating that investors do not incorporate these as a major consideration in their investment decision.
Long-term Outcomes Following Syme’s Amputation
Authors: Finkler Elissa S. , Marchwiany Daniel A. , Schiff Adam P. , Pinzur Michael S.
Published: April 2017

Background:

The metabolic cost of walking after Syme’s ankle disarticulation amputation is minimally more than that for nonamputation. The ability to end weightbearing makes prosthetic fitting relatively simple, and very few patients require extensive rehabilitation or placement in a skilled nursing or rehabilitation facility. In spite of these potential benefits, there is a paucity of objective information on the actual long-term outcomes.

Methods:

Fifty-one patients were identified who underwent single-stage Syme’s ankle disarticulation amputation with excision of the lateral and medial malleoli by a single surgeon during a 23-year period. None of these patients had sufficient tissue to allow amputation at the transmetatarsal or tarsometatarsal levels. Thirty-three underwent amputation due to a diabetic forefoot infection, 11 secondary to a crush injury, 3 for a nondiabetic infection, 3 for a noncorrectable acquired deformity, and 1 for neoplasm. The average age at surgery for the diabetic patients was 62.1 years (range, 36-81 years), with an average follow-up of 6.8 years (range, 4.0-11.6 years). The nondiabetic patients had an average age of 37.8 years (range, 21-65 years), with an average follow-up of 9.3 years (range, 2.2-25.0 years). Patients who were alive and could be contacted were invited to complete the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) questionnaire that was scored for functional, mobility, and bothersome indices.

Results:

Seventeen of the 33 diabetic patients died. Four (12.1%) were converted to transtibial amputation. One of the nondiabetic patients died, and 1 (5.5%) was converted to transtibial amputation. Eleven of the 33 patients who were contacted completed the SMFA. All of these patients demonstrated favorable outcome scores in the mobility, functional, and bothersome indices (average mobility index of 17.2, functional index of 14.7, and bothersome index of 16.7 for nondiabetic patients compared to 34.7, 29.9, and 30.6 for diabetic patients, respectively).

Conclusion:

The objective information derived from this investigation supports the opinion that patients who underwent Syme’s ankle disarticulation amputation appear to fare better than similar patients with transtibial amputation. These data also refute the notion of high complication rates and difficulties with prosthetic fitting. These patients required less rehabilitation and achieved improved levels of functional independence as demonstrated by favorable functional, mobility, and bothersome indices.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level IV, retrospective series.
The Highly Selective Caspase-1 Inhibitor VX-765 Provides Additive Protection Against Myocardial Infarction in Rat Hearts When Combined With a Platelet Inhibitor
Authors: Yang Xi-Ming , Downey James M. , Cohen Michael V. , Housley Nicole A. , Alvarez Diego F. , Audia Jonathon P.
Published: April 2017

Use of ischemic postconditioning and other related cardioprotective interventions to treat patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has failed to improve outcomes in clinical trials. Because P2Y12 inhibitors are themselves postconditioning mimetics, it has been postulated that the loading dose of platelet inhibitors routinely given to patients treated for AMI masks the anti-infarct effect of other intended cardioprotective interventions. To further improve outcomes of patients with AMI, an intervention must be able to provide additive protection in the presence of a P2Y12 platelet inhibitor. Previous studies reported an anti-infarct effect using a peptide inhibitor of the pro-inflammatory caspase-1 in animal models of AMI. Herein we tested whether a pharmacologic caspase-1 inhibitor can further limit infarct size in open-chest, anesthetized rats treated with a P2Y12 inhibitor. One hour occlusion of a coronary branch followed by 2 hours of reperfusion was used to simulate clinical AMI and reflow. One group of rats received an intravenous bolus of 16 mg/kg of the highly selective caspase-1 inhibitor VX-765 30 minutes prior to onset of ischemia. A second group received a 60 µg/kg intravenous bolus of the P2Y12 inhibitor cangrelor 10 minutes prior to reperfusion followed by 6 µg/kg/min continuous infusion. A third group received treatment with both inhibitors as above. Control animals received no treatment. Infarct size was measured by tetrazolium stain and volume of muscle at risk by fluorescent microspheres. In untreated hearts, 73.7% ± 4.1% of the ischemic zone infarcted. Treatment with either cangrelor or VX-765 alone reduced infarct size to 43.8% ± 2.4% and 39.6% ± 3.6% of the ischemic zone, respectively. Combining cangrelor and VX-765 was highly protective, resulting in only 14.0% ± 2.9% infarction. The ability of VX-765 to provide protection beyond that of a platelet inhibitor alone positions it as an attractive candidate therapy to further improve outcomes in today’s patients with AMI.
Thrombophilia in 153 Patients With Premature Cardiovascular Disease ≤Age 45
Authors: Milgrom Alexander , Lee Kevin , Rothschild Matan , Makadia Frini , Duhon Greg , Min Sarah , Wang Ping , Glueck Charles J.
Published: April 2017

We assessed contributions of thrombophilia to premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) events (≤ age 45) in 153 patients. Test results of thrombophilia–hypofibrinolysis were obtained in 153 patients with CVD ≤ age 45, 110 healthy normal controls, and 110 patients who had venous thromboembolism (VTE) without CVD. Of the 153 patients with CVD, 121 (79%) had sustained myocardial infarction, 70 (46%) had coronary artery stenting, and 53 (35%) had coronary artery bypass grafts. The first CVD events occurred at ages >20 to 35 in 47 patients and at ages >35 to 45 in 106 patients. At study entry, median low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 126 mg/dL, 56 (37%) smoked, 56 (37%) had hypertension, and 56 (37%) were diabetic. Cases differed from normal controls for high factor VIII (10 [22%] of 45 vs 7 of 103 [7%], P = .007), high homocysteine (32 [21%] of 151 vs 5 [5%] of 107, P = .0002), low free protein S (5 [11%] of 44 vs 2 [2%] of 96, P = .032), high anticardiolipin antibodies (ACLA) IgM (11 [9%] of 129 vs 2 [2%] of 109, P = .024), high lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] (46 [30%] of 151 vs 21 [19%] of 110, P = .038), and the lupus anticoagulant (4 [11%] of 37 vs 2 [2%] of 110, P = .035). There were no differences ( P > .05) between cases and VTE controls except free protein S and Lp(a). Free protein S was more often low in VTE controls (24 [28%] of 85 vs 5 [11%] of 44, P = .03) and Lp(a) was more often high in cases (46 [30%] of 151, VTE controls 12 [17%] of 71, P = .032). In 153 patients with premature CVD ≤ age 45, thrombophilia was pervasive (high factor VIII, homocysteine, ACLA IgM, low free protein S, high Lp(a), and lupus anticoagulant), evidencing thrombotic contribution to premature CVD. Moreover, thrombophilia in patients with premature CVD was comparable to VTE controls, emphasizing the pervasive nature of thrombophilia in premature CVD.
miR-10a and miR-204 as a Potential Prognostic Indicator in Low-Grade Gliomas
Authors: Son Ju Cheol , Jeong Hyoung Oh , Park Deaui , No Sang Gyoon , Lee Eun Kyeong , Lee Jaewon , Chung Hae Young
Published: April 2017

This study aimed to identify and characterize microRNAs (miRNAs) that are related to radiosensitivity in low-grade gliomas (LGGs). The miRNA expression levels in radiosensitive and radioresistant LGGs were compared using The Cancer Genome Atlas database, and differentially expressed miRNAs were identified using the EBSeq package. The miRNA target genes were predicted using Web databases. Fifteen miRNAs were differentially expressed between the groups, with miR-10a and miR-204 being related to overall survival (OS) of patients with LGG. Patients with upregulated miR-10a expression had a higher mortality rate and shorter OS time, whereas patients with downregulated miR-204 expression had a lower mortality rate and longer OS time. Two genes, HSP90AA1 and CREB5, were targets for both miRNAs. Thus, this study suggests that expression of miR-10a and miR-204 is significantly related to both radiosensitivity and the survival of patients with LGG. These miRNAs could therefore act as clinical biomarkers for LGG prognosis and diagnosis.
Modeling fructose-load-induced hepatic de-novo lipogenesis by model simplification
Authors: Allen Richard J , Musante Cynthia J
Published: April 2017

Hepatic de-novo lipogenesis is a metabolic process implemented in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Clinically, the rate of this process can be ascertained by use of labeled acetate and stimulation by fructose administration. A systems pharmacology model of this process is desirable because it facilitates the description, analysis, and prediction of this experiment. Due to the multiple enzymes involved in de-novo lipogenesis, and the limited data, it is desirable to use single functional expressions to encapsulate the flux between multiple enzymes. To accomplish this we developed a novel simplification technique which uses the available information about the properties of the individual enzymes to bound the parameters of a single governing ‘transfer function’. This method should be applicable to any model with linear chains of enzymes that are well stimulated. We validated this approach with computational simulations and analytical justification in a limiting case. Using this technique we generated a simple model of hepatic de-novo lipogenesis in these experimental conditions that matched prior data. This model can be used to assess pharmacological intervention at specific points on this pathway. We have demonstrated this with prospective simulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibition. This simplification technique suggests how the constituent properties of an enzymatic chain of reactions gives rise to the sensitivity (to substrate) of the pathway as a whole.
Obstacles and Opportunities for Diffusion of Integrated Pest Management Strategies Reported by Bolivian Small-Scale Farmers and Agronomists
Authors: Jørs Erik , Aramayo Antonio , Huici Omar , Konradsen Flemming , Gulis Gabriel
Published: April 2017

Integrated pest management (IPM) with an increased used of ecological farming methods and less and safer use of pesticides offers solutions to reduce risks of developing pest resistance, human poisoning, and environmental pollution. Despite being promoted by Food and Agriculture Organization and others, it has not spread readily in low-income countries. This article presents the opinions of Bolivian farmers and agronomists on perceived obstacles and opportunities for a diffusion of IPM. Focus group discussions revealed an increased workload without certainty of higher yields or better prices for products grown with IPM compared with traditional agriculture being hindrances for a spread of IPM. Moreover, IPM requires some new practices not that easy to learn by farmers. In favor of IPM was an increasing awareness of the importance of a healthy and sustainable food production, easiness to try out without expensive investments needed, and a higher quality of the products. A healthy and sustainable agricultural production should be promoted by support to farmers through IPM training, a certification, and better prices. Finding allies to such a promotion is not easy, though, according to both farmers and agronomists.
Friction on road surfaces contaminated by fine particles: Some new experimental evidences
Authors: Hichri Y , Cerezo V , Do MT
Published: April 2017

Accidents increase during the first rain after a long dry period due to the accumulation of fine particles, which contaminates the road surface and induces a friction loss. This paper presents new experimental evidences that help to understand how the particulate contaminants lubricate the tire–road interface. A laboratory test method is developed to reproduce the deposit of contaminant particles on the road surface and measure the friction coefficient on dry and wet contaminated surfaces. Test protocol is described with respect to the contaminant collection, the spreading of contaminant particles on the road specimen and their compaction to simulate the effect of the traffic, the wetting of the test surface to simulate precipitations, and the friction measurement. Friction tests are conducted in dry and wet conditions (by adding successive known quantities of water). Results show that dry particles can induce friction loss and the friction coefficient of dry contaminated surfaces is always lower than that of a dry and clean surface. The dry lubrication mechanism is attributed to shearing and sliding of the particle layer. Water induces first a significant friction drop, attributed to the viscosity of the particles–water mixture, then a friction increase due to a washing effect. Weight analysis shows a tight relationship between the friction coefficient and the mass of contaminants (particles in dry condition and particles–water mixture in wet conditions). There is a minimum in the friction versus water weight variation. Interpretation is made by considering fine particles as a wet granular material. Discussions are made with respect to the influence of particle concentrations and surface texture.
Anxiety in reading and listening English as a foreign language in Chinese undergraduate students
Authors: Chow Bonnie Wing-Yin , Chiu Hey Tou , Wong Simpson W. L.
Published: April 2017

This study tested relationships between foreign language (FL) reading and listening anxiety and learner variables in English as a foreign language (EFL). It tested links between foreign language anxiety (FLA) and its cognitive, affective and behavioral correlates in English (i.e. language learning strategies, learning motivation, and performance). Three-hundred-and-six Chinese undergraduates learning EFL were administered the measures via a questionnaire. Regression analyses indicated that EFL performance and EFL motivation were key factors that uniquely predicted EFL reading and listening anxiety. However, the role of EFL learning strategies was not significant after the effects of EFL performance and EFL motivation were controlled for. Despite this, mediation analyses revealed that EFL learning strategies had a significant indirect effect on EFL reading performance and listening anxiety levels with EFL learning motivation as a mediator. This suggests its secondary role in affecting FL anxieties. These findings provide important implications regarding assessment of students’ FL anxiety level as well as identification of and intervention for those with FL difficulties. These findings have extended past studies by highlighting the relative importance of these cognitive, affective and behavioral correlates on Chinese undergraduates’ EFL anxiety in specific domains.
Politicising fandom
Authors: Dean Jonathan
Published: April 2017

This article aims, first, to argue that fandom matters to politics and, second, to offer a theorisation of what I call politicised fandom. The article proceeds through three stages. Part 1 offers a brief mapping of the existing scholarship within the interdisciplinary sub-field of fan studies and alights on a definition of fandom offered by Cornel Sandvoss, before mapping some different understandings of the fandom–politics relation. Here, I argue for an emphasis on the agency and capacity of fan communities to intervene politically. Part 2 then provides an initial theorisation of politicised fandom, highlighting four key elements: productivity and consumption, community, affect and contestation. Part 3 offers some snapshots of how this politicised fandom is manifest empirically via the analysis of three similar yet different instances of politicised fandom in UK left politics: Russell Brand, Milifandom and Corbyn-mania.
Drink, Temperance and Abstinence in Ireland
Authors: Kelly Adrian
Published: April 2017

The article describes the myth and reality of drink and temperance patterns in Ireland from the early 19th century to the present. Tracing the origin of the stereotypical “drunken Irishman” to political, largely British, propaganda of the 19th century, the author questions the basis of such an image. He also suggests that the Irish themselves have fallen victim to the stereotype: Irish emigrants often try to live up to the heavy drinking expectations of foreigners. As a matter of fact, the temperance movements — beginning with Fr. Mathews organization in the 1820s and culminating with the foundation of the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association, P.T.A.A. in 1898 — have been, by any standard, phenomenally successful, and remain today a significant force in Irish society.
Organizational Inertia and Vulnerability – Alcoholics Anonymous in the Swedish Welfare State
Authors: Bergmark Karin Helmersson
Published: April 2017

The first stable AA group in Sweden was founded in 1953. For many years Swedish AA lived in the shadow of a successful dissident movement, the Links. Thereby thousands of alcoholics got acquainted with the disease concept and with other parts of the AA ideology. The introduction of the Minnesota Model for alcohol treatment in the 1980s coincided with a general transition towards a market economy and the demands for professionalism in treatment. The impact of these changes on the Swedish AA should not be underestimated. The development had a turbo effect on it. This time the changes outside of AA worked in favour of the movement. Instead of vanishing in the shadow of the Links, AA was triumphantly revived by way of the Minnesota Model for treatment.

The peculiar organizational characteristics of AA are central to the discussion in this article. It suggests that the organizational form of AA (the cell structure) and the genetic code (the Traditions) imply that AA will always be vulnerable to external circumstances. AA cannot act to protect itself. That is to say, the organizational form of AA inhibited, in Sweden, its defence against the growth of hybrid movements such as the Links. The mere existence of the Links delayed the development of AA in such a way that Swedish AA became closely connected to the professional 12-step treatment, a fact which in itself might have strongly influenced the character of the Swedish AA movement.
Nordic, Italian, and German Drinking Habits: A Comparison between Surveys Made since the 1980s
Authors: Hanhinen Sari
Published: April 2017

This article compares Nordic drinking habit surveys and their results — a comparison previously done in 1988. It includes all the main surveys regarding drinking habits of the adult population in the Nordic countries since 1988. In addition the analysis takes in Italy and Germany. Drinking habits are described and compared on four dimensions: the share of abstainers and drinkers, overall drinking frequency, the volume of alcohol consumption, and heavy drinking and drinking for intoxication. The study highlights the difficulties inherent in the international comparison of drinking habits.

The results indicate that even though the changes in beverage preferences imply a homogenization of drinking patterns, the homogenization hypothesis proves to be wrong when comparing the results concerning the shares of abstainers, drinking frequencies or distribution of alcohol consumption between women and men. Denmark still differs from the rest of the Nordic countries in these respects, being closer to central European countries like Germany. In the other Nordic countries traditional drinking patterns seem to persist despite the changes in beverage preferences. Closest to Denmark and central European countries stands Finland, where drinking frequency has been rising and where more alcohol is consumed than in Sweden, Norway and Iceland. Looking at the previous comparison of Nordic drinking habits, it can be concluded that drinking habits are very open to changes.
The EU challenge: New Organization and Culture around Psychotropic Prescription Drugs in the Nordic Count
Authors: Jensen Thor øivind , Berner David
Published: April 2017

The complicated balance, including the formal system, that regulates patterns of psychotropic drug usage in the Nordic countries is under rapid change. The European Union is the main agent of change. The general public, the politicians, the administrators and health professionals all seem to agree that consumption is too high and the awareness of this problem has been rising in recent years. This coincides with the European integration process. It is suggested in the article that the Nordic tendencies to have a paternalistic “health” regulatory system will be replaced by a “market” organized system, emphasizing free competition, consumer rigths, legal decisions and industry interests. One result will be a larger and unpredictable assortment; another probable result is higher and more complicated structured usage patterns. The old system of national health authorities as the main regulatory actor will be seriously weakened.

The challenge of solving the problem of managing and reducing consumption of addictive drugs is difficult, and social regulation must rely on new tools. Local and regional authorities and organizations will have a central role, as well as patient organizations and public and professional debate. The final outcome is unpredictable, but one thing is clear, it will be a significantly different structure.
Travellers' Imports of Alcohol into Finland: Changes Caused by Finnish EU Membership
Authors: Österberg Esa , Pehkonen Juhani
Published: April 2017

The article examines the development in travellers' imports of alcoholic beverages into Finland from 1994 to 1995, the year that Finland became a member of EU. The membership, beginning January 1st 1995, included provisions for increased allowances in travellers' tax-free import of alcoholic beverages and lifted time-limits restricting imports. These provisions have clearly increased the imported volumes, most sharply for beer, from 3.5 million litres in 1994 to around 30 million litres in 1995. The import of spirits increased from 3 million litres in 1994 to 7 million litres in 1995. It is estimated that the import of wines increased from 3.5 million litres in 1994 to 9 million litres in 1995. In 1994 travellers' imports added 6 % and in 1995 17 % to the recorded consumption of alcohol.

There were no significant changes in the frequency of air travel or of trips between Finland and Sweden. In contrast, tourism to Russia and Estonia increased dramatically. The relaxed import restrictions were an important factor in this development. Most of the increase in beer imports and the bulk of the increase in wine and spirits imports derive from tourism to these two countries.

The article also discusses different ways of estimating travellers' alcohol imports, and proposes how this issue should be studied in the future.
Engagement as transformation: Learnings from a tourism development project in Dunga by Lake Victoria, Kenya
Authors: Jernsand Eva Maria
Published: April 2017

Participatory tourism development projects are considered effective and democratic since they engage people in interactive learning processes that change individuals and societies. In order to be transformative, a relational and social process must be acheived which challenges prior knowledge and beliefs. The purpose of this article is to explore engagement as a transformative feature of research and development practice. Three aspects of engagement are proposed through which higher learning loops and transformation can be enhanced: embodied and situated learning, relationship-building, and acknowledging and sharing power. These three aspects of engagement are explored through the case of developing an ecotourism site by Lake Victoria in Kenya.
The effect of PDE5 inhibitors on bone and oxidative damage in ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis
Authors: Alp Hamit H , Huyut Zübeyir , Yildirim Serkan , Başbugan Yıldıray , Ediz Levent , Şekeroğlu Mehmet R
Published: April 2017

Osteoporosis is a major public health problem associated with many factors, and it affects more than 50% of women over 50 years old. In the current study, our purpose was to investigate the effects of phosphodiestarase-5 inhibitors on osteoporosis via the nitric oxide/3′,5′-cyclic guanosine monophosphate/protein kinase G signalling pathway. A total of 50 female albino Wistar rats were separated into five groups. The first group was appointed as the healthy control group with no ovariectomy. All animals in the other groups underwent a bilateral ovariectomy. Six months after the ovariectomy, vardenafil, udenafil and tadalafil were given to the third, fourth and fifth groups, respectively, but were not administered to the positive control group (10 mg/kg per day for two months). The bone mineral density values were determined using a densitometry apparatus for all groups pre- and post-ovariectomy as well as after treatment. The levels of nitric oxide, endothelial nitric oxidesynthase, asymmetric dimethylarginine, 3′,5′-cyclic guanosine monophosphate, protein kinase G, phosphodiestarase-5, pyridinoline, deoxypyridinoline, carboxyterminal telopeptide fragments and plasma carboxy terminal propeptide of type I collagen were determined using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxy guanosine, deoxyguanosine and coenzyme Q10 were determined by a high-performance liquid chromatography assay. Additionally, the right femoral trabecular bone density and the epiphyseal plate were measured in all groups. Angiogenesis was histologically observed in the bone tissue. In addition, we determined that the inhibitors may have caused a positive impact on the increased bone mass density and reduction of bone resorption markers. We also observed the positive effects of these inhibitors on oxidative stress. In conclusion, these phosphodiestarase-5 inhibitors increase angiogenesis in bone tissue and improve the re-formation rate of bone in rats with osteoporosis.

Chemical compounds studied in this article

Udenafil (PubChem CID: 6918523); Tadalafil (PubChem CID: 110635); Vardanafil (PubCham CID: 110634).

Impact statement

The results in our study appear to establish the osteoporosis model and provide evidence of the positive effects of three separate PDE5 inhibitors (vardenafil, udenafil, and tadalafil). The positive effects of these PDE5 inhibitors are investigated and demonstrated by the bone mass density and bone resorption markers. These effects are associated with significant demonstrated antioxidant activities. Osteoporosis is a significant major public health problem especially in more aged populations. Advances in identifying and understanding new potential therapeutic modalities for this disease are significant. This study provides such an advance.
Diffusing information for mobile social networks under consideration of dynamic influence
Authors: Jing Dong , Liu Ting
Published: April 2017

As the developments of new techniques, mobile social networks have been built wildly. To obtain and spread information over mobile social networks efficiently, the influence maximization problem is to find a seed nodes set with limited size such that it can influence as many nodes as possible. Previous works ignore the dynamic influence phenomenon of diffusing information on mobile social networks. In this article, we propose a new model to express the procedure of diffusing information under the existence of dynamic influence. Theoretical analysis shows that the influence maximization problem under new model is non-deterministic polynomial-time hard, and efficient approximation algorithm is proposed. Experimental studies on real data sets show that the new model can process dynamic influence well in the diffusing information procedure, and the proposed algorithms can solve the influence maximization problem on new model efficiently.
Minority Rights, Honor, and Hate Speech Law in Post-Holocaust West Germany
Authors: Goldberg Ann
Published: April 2017

This article examines the political and cultural dynamics surrounding postwar West Germany’s passage of its 1960 hate speech law, which remained in effect for 50 years. It uses the case to question and rethink the dominant narrative of human rights history as the progressive triumph of human rights since World War II. Instead, it argues for the centrality of identity politics and a distinctive German political culture in shaping the law. While the development of Germany’s formal law on hate speech is consistent with a progressive narrative, a different story emerges when, as this article does, one shifts the focus downward and outward, from lawmakers and the formal law to the extra-legal political and social context and to the reactions of ordinary citizens. Here, the article finds a great irony: Jews, the very minority group which Germany’s new hate speech law was most intended to protect, fought successfully to remove strong human rights language from the final bill, while, at the same time, championing an old and seemingly outdated legal tool, defamation law. Political culture and the historical struggles of liberal, assimilationist German Jews trying to balance a particuliarist group identity with the universalistic claims of equal citizenship in the nation state, explain this irony.
Hepatocyte-based flow analytical bioreactor for online xenobiotics metabolism bioprediction
Authors: Helvenstein M , Hambÿe S , Blankert B
Published: April 2017

The research for new in vitro screening tools for predictive metabolic profiling of drug candidates is of major interest in the pharmaceutical field. The main motivation is to avoid late rejection in drug development and to deliver safer drugs to the market. Thanks to the superparamagnetic properties of iron oxide nanoparticles, a flow bioreactor has been developed which is able to perform xenobiotic metabolism studies. The selected cell line (HepaRG) maintained its metabolic competencies once iron oxide nanoparticles were internalized. Based on magnetically trapped cells in a homemade immobilization chamber, through which a flow of circulating phase was injected to transport nutrients and/or the studied xenobiotic, off-line and online (when coupled to a high-performance liquid chromatography chain) metabolic assays were developed using diclofenac as a reference compound. The diclofenac demonstrated a similar metabolization profile chromatogram, both with the newly developed setup and with the control situation. Highly versatile, this pioneering and innovative instrumental design paves the way for a new approach in predictive metabolism studies.
Effectiveness of Manual Therapy and Stretching for Baseball Players With Shoulder Range of Motion Deficits
Authors: Bailey Lane B. , Thigpen Charles A. , Hawkins Richard J. , Beattie Paul F. , Shanley Ellen
Published: April 2017

Background:

Baseball players displaying deficits in shoulder range of motion (ROM) are at increased risk of arm injury. Currently, there is a lack of consensus regarding the best available treatment options to restore shoulder ROM.

Hypothesis:

Instrumented manual therapy with self-stretching will result in clinically significant deficit reductions when compared with self-stretching alone.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Shoulder ROM and humeral torsion were assessed in 60 active baseball players (mean age, 19 ± 2 years) with ROM deficits (nondominant − dominant, ≥15°). Athletes were randomly assigned to receive a single treatment of instrumented manual therapy plus self-stretching (n = 30) or self-stretching only (n = 30). Deficits in internal rotation, horizontal adduction, and total arc of motion were compared between groups immediately before and after a single treatment session. Treatment effectiveness was determined by mean comparison data, and a number-needed-to-treat (NNT) analysis was used for assessing the presence of ROM risk factors.

Results:

Prior to intervention, players displayed significant ( P < 0.001) dominant-sided deficits in internal rotation (−26°), total arc of motion (−18°), and horizontal adduction (−17°). After the intervention, both groups displayed significant improvements in ROM, with the instrumented manual therapy plus self-stretching group displaying greater increases in internal rotation (+5°, P = 0.010), total arc of motion (+6°, P = 0.010), and horizontal adduction (+7°, P = 0.004) compared with self-stretching alone. For horizontal adduction deficits, the added use of instrumented manual therapy with self-stretching decreased the NNT to 2.2 (95% CI, 2.1-2.4; P = 0.010).

Conclusion:

Instrumented manual therapy with self-stretching significantly reduces ROM risk factors in baseball players with motion deficits when compared with stretching alone.

Clinical Relevance:

The added benefits of manual therapy may help to reduce ROM deficits in clinical scenarios where stretching alone is ineffective.
Promoting a Positive Image: Public Relations Strategies for Special Educators
Authors: Brennan Kathleen B. , Miller April D. , Brennan J. Patrick
Published: April 2017

Public relations for schools has been a topic of discussion for many years. Application of public relations campaigns to the field of special education though, has not been prevalent. Special educators have their hands full already! They must teach the students, keep parents informed, collaborate with fellow educators for inclusion, and provide real life experiences in the community, while communicating a positive image of their students, co-workers, school, and neighborhood. It is important to understand the special educator's role and to have strategies that can help advocate and communicate the plight and successes of children with special needs. By starting a public relations campaign the first day of school that continues throughout the year, a special educator can do a lot to promote the positive image and increase awareness for the incontestable rights of students. This article provides a monthly calendar of suggested activities as well as general guidelines for getting a public relations campaign started that can work as well in a small rural school as in a big inner city school.
Seeing through the Fence Rows: Early Intervention, Children and Families in Rural Places
Authors: Butera Gretchen , Maughan George
Published: April 2017

Child growth and development happens within the social, cultural, political, environmental and economic contexts of a particular “place.” This broad context is often unacknowledged by researchers and policy makers who describe best practice in the field as if “one size fits all.” In this article, the practice of an early interventionist in a rural community is described as embedded in family and community in order to consider the impact of “ruralness” on practice. Collaboration with family and child service professionals and others who work to improve the economic health of rural communities is considered important.
Families and Early Intervention Professionals in Rural Areas: Unique Challenges
Authors: Jephson Melanie B. , Russell Kendra P. , Youngblood L. A.
Published: April 2017

A review of literature was conducted to identify challenges faced by rural families with young children who have disabilities as well as those of early intervention professionals who live and work in rural programs. A focus group discussion and an open-ended questionnaire were then used to identify challenges faced by families and professionals in rural East Texas. Families identified challenges related to basic needs such as transportation, housing, and access to medical care, as well as feelings of isolation and the need for social and emotional support. Professionals identified many challenges but were most concerned about the lack of accessible resources available to meet the needs of families. Lack of training was another significant problem for professionals who work in rural areas.
Creating a New System of Supports: The Vermont Self-Determination Project
Authors: Aichroth Sue , Carpenter Jeremy , Daniels Kim , Grassette Patty , Kelly Darlene , Murray Amie , Rice Joanne , Rivard Bob , Smith Cindy , Smith Phil , Topper Karen
Published: April 2017

The Vermont Self-Determination Project is a model program for enhancing the self-determination of people with developmental disabilities in a rural state. Definitions of self-determination differ in a larger political perspective from those used in systems of supports and for people with disabilities. A brief historical overview demonstrates individualized funding and self-managed supports in Canada and the United States.

Rural Vermont's developmental services system enhances opportunities for self-determination through the unique program qualities of the Self-Determination Project. These qualities include circles of support, facilitating self-advocacy, system-wide change, and a triad team approach, in addition to approaches to self-determination that include self-management and self-direction. Significant project outcomes point to areas for future exploration by rural as well as urban researchers and practicioners.
Who are we Forgetting in the Inclusion Matrix?
Authors: Griffith Kimberly G. , Cooper Mark J.
Published: April 2017

In many of our rural school districts, today's inclusion initiative struggles to make a smooth transition from segregating students with disabilities to including them with their age appropriate peers. Efforts have been made to prepare educators, paraprofessionals, administrators and even children with disabilities, but little focus has been placed on the area that will bring about the success of this concept. Most often we have forgotten to adequately prepare the environment in which children with disabilities will spend the majority of their educational day. The general education classroom in many rural school districts is primarily made up of classmates, most without a disability or the knowledge and disposition to accept and include their peers with disabilities in both the educational and social experiences of this environment.

The Inclusion Matrix provides a concrete approach to preparing and educating nondisabled peers for the inclusion classroom environment. This model stresses that the interaction of all students both with and without disabilities does not just occur. An effort must be made to nurture an environment within the classroom, which would show caring to those classmates many times alienated and separated from the group. Phases that build on knowledge, understanding, skills for socialization and integration, addressing dispositions as well as our feelings toward all students within the classroom environment are important aspects of this program design. The use of peers to provide much needed support of inclusion may prove to be the most effective resource for the implementation of the inclusion initiative.
Prereferral Intervention: Problem-Solving Method and Curriculum-Based Measurement
Authors: Weishaar Mary Konya , Weishaar Phillip M. , Budt Christy
Published: April 2017

Reform changes were piloted by a rural special education cooperative in southern Illinois. This article describes the process used in one component of the reform, use of a problem-solving model at the prereferral level where curriculum-based measurement was a primary assessment. One observation was that fewer referrals were made for special education evaluations after the problem-solving model was put in place. Suggestions for improvement to the prereferral process are made.