bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing the terror of a dangerous world: Political attitudes as predictors of mental health stigma
Authors: DeLuca Joseph S , Yanos Philip T
Published: June 2015

Background:

Previous research has associated self-reported political conservatism to mental health stigma. Although the limitations of self-reported political attitudes are well documented, no study has evaluated this relationship from a more nuanced perspective of sociopolitical identity.

Aims:

To assess the relationship between political attitudes and mental health stigma (i.e. negative stereotypes and intended social distance), particularly from a standpoint of Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA) – a more specific measure of political conservatism.

Method:

A sample of 505 New York State residents completed an online survey.

Results:

The results of this study indicated significant relationships between endorsements of self-reported conservatism and RWA to negative stereotypes and social distance in relation to mental illness. Individuals with ‘High RWA’ were more likely to see individuals with mental illness as dangerous and unpredictable, and less willing to want to socially associate with individuals with mental illness. These results remained statistically significant even when controlling for other factors that consistently predict mental health stigma. Negative stereotypes also partially mediated individuals with RWA’s significant relationship to social distance.

Conclusion:

Characteristics of political conservatives and right-wing authoritarians (e.g. threat-aversion, personal responsibility) are predictive of mental health stigma. Terror Management Theory may also help to explain this phenomenon.
From ‘poor parenting’ to micro-management: coalition governance and the sponsorship of arm’s-length bodies in the United Kingdom, 2010–13
Authors: Flinders Matthew , Tonkiss Katherine
Published: June 2015

The delegation of public tasks to arm’s-length bodies remains a central feature of contemporary reform agendas within both developed and developing countries. The role and capacity of political and administrative principals (i.e. ministers and departments of state) to control the vast network of arm’s-length bodies for which they are formally responsible is therefore a critical issue within and beyond academe. In the run-up to the 2010 General Election in the United Kingdom, the ‘quango conundrum’ emerged as an important theme and all three major parties committed themselves to shift the balance of power back towards ministers and sponsor departments. This article presents the results of the first major research project to track and examine the subsequent reform process. It reveals a stark shift in internal control relationships from the pre-election ‘poor parenting’ model to a far tighter internal situation that is now the focus of complaints by arm’s-length bodies of micro-management. This shift in the balance of power and how it was achieved offers new insights into the interplay between different forms of governance and has significant theoretical and comparative relevance.

Points for practitioners

For professionals working in the field of arm’s-length governance, the article offers three key insights. First, that a well-resourced core executive is critical to directing reform given the challenges of implementing reform in a context of austerity. Second, that those implementing reform will also need to take into account the diverse consequences of centrally imposed reform likely to result in different departments with different approaches to arm’s-length governance. Third, that reforming arm’s-length governance can affect the quality of relationships, and those working in the field will need to mitigate these less tangible challenges to ensure success.
The Role of Autophagy in Salivary Gland Homeostasis and Stress Responses
Authors: Morgan-Bathke M. , Lin H.H. , Ann D.K. , Limesand K.H.
Published: June 2015

Autophagy is a catabolic process that has been shown to have a role in many cellular processes including the removal of excessive or damaged proteins and protein aggregates. The salivary glands play a critical role in oral health, and their secretory capacity may be critically intertwined with the autophagic process. This review describes the role of autophagy activation in normal salivary gland homeostasis and during the glandular stress responses of therapeutic radiation, ductal ligation, autoimmunity, and salivary gland adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Fine-tuning of Th17 Cytokines in Periodontal Disease by IL-10
Authors: Moretti S. , Bartolommei L. , Galosi C. , Renga G. , Oikonomou V. , Zamparini F. , Ricci G. , Borghi M. , Puccetti M. , Piobbico D. , Eramo S. , Conti C. , Lomurno G. , Bartoli A. , Napolioni V. , Romani L.
Published: June 2015

Periodontitis (PD) is a chronic disease caused by the host inflammatory response to bacteria colonizing the oral cavity. In addition to tolerance to oral microbiome, a fine-tuned balance of IL-10 levels is critical to efficiently mount antimicrobial resistance without causing immunopathology. Clinical and animal studies support that adaptive T-helper (Th) cytokines are involved in the pathogenesis of alveolar bone destruction in PD. However, it remains unclear what type of Th response is related to human PD progression and what role IL-10 has on this process. We addressed the contribution of IL-10 in limiting Th1 and Th17 inflammatory response in murine and human PD. Through a combination of basic and translational approaches involving selected cytokine-deficient mice as well as human genetic epidemiology, our results demonstrate the requirement for IL-10 in fine-tuning the levels of Th17 (IL-17A and IL-17F) cytokines in experimental and human PD. Of novelty, we found that IL-17F correlated with protection in murine and human PD and was positively regulated by IL-10. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the protective role for IL-17F in PD, its positive regulation by IL-10, and the potential differential role for IL-17A and IL-17F in periodontal disease.
A Spatiotemporal Analysis of Arson
Authors: Grubb Jonathan A. , Nobles Matt R.
Published: June 2015

Objectives:

To investigate the characteristics of spatial and temporal patterning of arson incidents in a large urban county.

Methods:

Using multiyear geocoded crime data from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office (2005 to 2012), arson incidents are analyzed for significant space–time interaction using the Monte Carlo simulation-based Knox method, originally developed for epidemiology research. Several additional contrasts are presented according to situational and routine activities factors that may be implicated in target selection and guardianship efficacy.

Results:

Evidence illustrates that arson generally exhibits enhanced likelihood of near repeat follow-up incidents in close spatial and temporal proximity to an initiating event. Also, spatiotemporal patterns for arson exhibit systematic differences when contrasting subtypes including residential versus non-residential, daytime versus nighttime, and weekday versus weekend arsons.

Conclusions:

Comparatively little empirical research has been published in criminology journals concerning this “invisible” Uniform Crime Report index crime. This study provides a theoretically informed, aggregate-level examination of trends and patterns for arson in an urban environment. Results may aid in inductive theory building as well as efforts to investigate and prevent arson.
Social fragmentation as a consequence of implementing a Bus Rapid Transit system in the city of Bogotá
Authors: Bocarejo Juan Pablo , Portilla Ingrid , Meléndez David
Published: June 2015

Urban growth, new economic activities, infrastructure and mobility projects change the way a city and their citizens interact. To assess changes based on the above factors, we use the concept of social fragmentation for two different periods. We propose a methodology that evaluates the degree of social fragmentation in different zones of Bogotá and the impact of the introduction of a Bus Rapid Transit system (BRT). The fragmentation analysis shows an increase in interactions for the three different income groups analysed in the 1995–2005 comparison. The spatial distribution of defragmented zones has also changed. Peripheral zones were isolated in 1995, close to ghettos or closed community concept, while in 2005 their interactions with the city saw an important improvement. The difference in difference analysis shows that feeder lines, serving specially those peripheral zones, have a positive impact on population as the fragmentation indicator decreases. However, no evidence was found regarding trunk line zones.
Governing calculative practices: An investigation of development viability modelling in the English planning system
Authors: McAllister Patrick , Street Emma , Wyatt Peter
Published: June 2015

Over the last decade the English planning system has placed greater emphasis on the financial viability of development. ‘Calculative’ practices have been used to quantify and capture land value uplifts. Development viability appraisal (DVA) has become a key part of the evidence base used in planning decision-making and informs both ‘site-specific’ negotiations about the level of land value capture for individual schemes and ‘area-wide’ planning policy formation. This paper investigates how implementation of DVA is governed in planning policy formation. It is argued that the increased use of DVA raises important questions about how planning decisions are made and operationalised, not least because DVA is often poorly understood by some key stakeholders. The paper uses the concept of governance to thematically analyse semi-structured interviews conducted with the producers of DVAs and considers key procedural issues including (in)consistencies in appraisal practices, levels of stakeholder consultation and the potential for client and producer bias. Whilst stakeholder consultation is shown to be integral to the appraisal process in order to improve the quality of the appraisals and to legitimise the outputs, participation is restricted to industry experts and excludes some interest groups, including local communities. It is concluded that, largely because of its recent adoption and knowledge asymmetries between local planning authorities and appraisers, DVA is a weakly governed process characterised by emerging and contested guidance and is therefore ‘up for grabs’.
Differences in housing price dynamics across cities: A comparison of different panel model specifications
Authors: Oikarinen Elias , Engblom Janne
Published: June 2015

This study compares a conventionally used panel data model – that does not allow for regional variations in housing price dynamics – with panel models that let the dynamics differ across regions. We concentrate on examining the momentum dynamics and the reversion speed towards the fundamental price level. Based on data over 1988–2012, the results indicate that the regional differences are generally quite small in the Finnish market. Nevertheless, in several cities the dynamics differ significantly from those indicated by the baseline model that does not allow for regional variation. In addition, the long-term coefficient on income considerably varies across regions, the coefficient being greater in the more supply-constrained cities. The results indicate that the use of panel models that assume similar housing price dynamics across regions can lead to flawed conclusions being drawn.
Financial markets, developers and the geographies of housing in Brazil: A supply-side account
Authors: Sanfelici Daniel , Halbert Ludovic
Published: June 2015

Financialisation and housing are predominantly associated to mortgages for homeownership and securitisation techniques. This paper looks at how financial markets influence the development industry, its business strategies, and the nature and location of its products. Adopting a supply-side account, the paper inquires into the rising role of financial markets as a source of funding for a consolidating development industry and its influence on the geography of housing in Brazilian cities. It develops the concept of resonance by combining two yet unrelated strands of literature on the study of financial markets (cultural economy and conventionalist economics). Narratives co-authored by the stock market community and development firms management over each individual firm, and the discursively linked strategic moves of developers, are shown to resonate, at the meso-level of the industry, into shared social representations (or conventions) on how to best assess and interpret the value of development firms. Analysing the wave of Initial Public Offerings occurring in the mid 2000s, the paper highlights that narratives of quick capital gains associated with the removal of the land banking bottleneck faced by developers supported a convention giving priority to the growth in total output, and contributed to the observed changes in the forms, scales and locations of housing projects in Brazilian cities. As discrepancies between the promises of returns for shareholders and actual financial results emerged, the growth convention unravelled, making way for other narratives and strategic moves to resonate anew and possibly change again the geographies of housing.
The movement of the letter in A Doll House
Authors: Wang Quan
Published: June 2015

The letter plays a decisive role in A Doll House. Condensing the triple meanings of a signifier, an epistle, and the Law into the letter, Ibsen has shown how the movement of the letter decides the subjectivity of the characters. Nora’s life first is determined by a forged signature (‘the Name of the Father’), then its later metamorphosis into the letters, and finally the whole Symbolic Order. The itinerary of the letter also shapes the identities of other protagonists who have adopted a concordant negative attitude towards the letter. These frustrated responses towards the letter reveal Ibsen’s postmodernist scepticism about language: the ontological uncertainty over linguistic determination of human subjectivity.
Musical Mimesis and Political Ethos in Plato’s Republic
Authors: Valiquette Moreau Nina
Published: June 2015

This essay argues that Plato’s Republic includes a widely overlooked meditation on the affective dimension of political judgment. This meditation occurs in the passages on music. In music, Plato identifies the possibility of an extra-rational aesthetic activity that prepares the soul for reasoned judgment: he makes musical mimesis the precondition to logos (speech, reasoned account) because of its ability to actualize in the soul the very ethos required of sound judgment. Music is able to do this because it is not imagistic; music does not produce mediated representations but rather produces alterations in the condition of the soul itself. These alterations are made possible because the soul itself is structured musically. If music actualizes the conditions of the soul, so too does the soul instantiate the conditions of music. In his treatment of musical mimesis, Plato thereby makes disposition, or affect, the defining feature of sound judgment.
Automatic sleep stage classification based on sparse deep belief net and combination of multiple classifiers
Authors: Zhang Junming , Wu Yan , Bai Jing , Chen Fuqiang
Published: June 2015

This paper presents an automatic sleep stage method combining a sparse deep belief net and combination of multiple classifiers for electroencephalogram, electrooculogram and electromyogram. The sparse deep belief net was applied to extract features from these signals automatically, and the combination of multiple classifiers, utilizing the extracted features, assigned each 30-s epoch to one of the five possible sleep stages. More importantly, we proposed a new voting principle based on classification entropy to enhance the classification performance further by harnessing the complementary information provided by the individual classifier. Differently from existing methods, our method used unsupervised feature learning to extract features automatically from raw sleep data and classification based on the learned features. The results of automatic and manual scorings were compared on an epoch-by-epoch basis. The accuracies for wake, S1, S2, SWS and REM were 98.49%, 80.05%, 91.2%, 98.22% and 95.31%, respectively, and the total accuracy of sleep stage was 91.31%. The results demonstrated that the sparse deep belief net was an efficient feature extraction method for sleep data, and the combination of multiple classifiers based on classification entropy performed well on sleep stages.
New fault-tolerant control architectures based on voting algorithms for electric vehicle induction motor drive
Authors: Raisemche A. , Boukhnifer M. , Diallo D.
Published: June 2015

In this paper, we present a comparative study of four voting algorithms in two observer-based fault-tolerant control (FTC) architectures for an electric vehicle (EV) induction motor drive. The first architecture, called output FTC, is based on the mechanical sensor, an EKF and a second-order sliding mode observer (SMO2). The second one, input FTC, is based on three controllers (PI, H∞ loop shaping and the generalized internal model control), the most appropriate being selected to ensure good behaviour in presence of a multiplicative sensor fault (the fault is modelled as an exponential type emulating a bias). A third architecture, called hybrid FTC, based on the previous output and input fault-tolerant schemes, is built to mitigate simultaneous faults. Simulation and experimental results for a 7.5-kW induction motor drive show the efficiency of the approaches and their robustness against parametric variations for different load conditions.
The Development of Self-Criticism and Dependency in Early Adolescence and Their Role in the Development of Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms
Authors: Kopala-Sibley Daniel C. , Zuroff David C. , Hankin Benjamin L. , Abela John R. Z.
Published: June 2015

According to Blatt and others (e.g., A. T. Beck), self-definition, or one’s sense of self, and one’s sense of relatedness to others represent core lifespan developmental tasks. This study examined the role of events pertaining to self-definition or relatedness in the development of personality traits from each domain (self-criticism and dependency), and their relationship to the development of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Two hundred seventy-six early adolescents completed a measure of self-criticism and dependency at baseline and again 24 months later, along with measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Every 3 months, participants completed a measure of life events, which were coded as self-definitional or relatedness oriented (80% rater agreement, kappa = .70). Structural equation models showed that self-definitional events predicted increases in self-criticism, which in turn predicted increases in depressive symptoms, whereas relatedness events predicted increases in dependency, although dependency was unrelated to change in symptoms.
The Unifying Moral Dyad
Authors: Schein Chelsea , Gray Kurt
Published: June 2015

Do moral disagreements regarding specific issues (e.g., patriotism, chastity) reflect deep cognitive differences (i.e., distinct cognitive mechanisms) between liberals and conservatives? Dyadic morality suggests that the answer is “no.” Despite moral diversity, we reveal that moral cognition—in both liberals and conservatives—is rooted in a harm-based template. A dyadic template suggests that harm should be central within moral cognition, an idea tested—and confirmed—through six specific hypotheses. Studies suggest that moral judgment occurs via dyadic comparison, in which counter-normative acts are compared with a prototype of harm. Dyadic comparison explains why harm is the most accessible and important of moral content, why harm organizes—and overlaps with—diverse moral content, and why harm best translates across moral content. Dyadic morality suggests that various moral content (e.g., loyalty, purity) are varieties of perceived harm and that past research has substantially exaggerated moral differences between liberals and conservatives.
Bayesian Networks in Educational Assessment
Authors: Culbertson Michael J.
Published: June 2015

Bayesian networks (BN) provide a convenient and intuitive framework for specifying complex joint probability distributions and are thus well suited for modeling content domains of educational assessments at a diagnostic level. BN have been used extensively in the artificial intelligence community as student models for intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) but have received less attention among psychometricians. This critical review outlines the existing research on BN in educational assessment, providing an introduction to the ITS literature for the psychometric community, and points out several promising research paths. The online appendix lists 40 assessment systems that serve as empirical examples of the use of BN for educational assessment in a variety of domains.
Stratification of Fat‐Free Mass Index Percentiles for Body Composition Based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Bioelectric Impedance Data
Authors: Kudsk Kenneth A. , Munoz‐del‐Rio Alejandro , Busch Rebecca A. , Kight Cassandra E. , Schoeller Dale A.
Published: June 2015

Background: Loss of protein mass and lower fat‐free mass index (FFMI) are associated with longer length of stay, postsurgical complications, and other poor outcomes in hospitalized patients. Normative data for FFMI of U.S. populations do not exist. This work aims to create a stratified FFMI percentile table for the U.S. population using the large bioelectric impedance analysis data obtained from National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Methods: Fat‐free mass (FFM) was calculated from the NHANES III bioelectric impedance analysis and anthropometric data for males and females ages 12 to >90 years for 3 race/ethnicities (non‐Hispanic white, non‐Hispanic black, and Mexican American). FFM was normalized by subject height to create an FFMI distribution table for the U.S. population. Selected percentiles were obtained by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Data were collapsed by race/ethnicity before and after removing obese and underweight participants to create an FFMI decile table for males and females 12 years and older for the healthy‐weight U.S. population. Results: FFMI increased during adolescent growth but stabilized in the early 20s. The FFMI deciles were similar by race/ethnicity, with age group remaining relatively stable between ages 25 and 80 years. The FFMI deciles for males and females were significantly different. Conclusions: After eliminating the obese and extremely thin, FFMI percentiles remain stable during adult years allowing creation of age‐ and race/ethnicity‐independent decile tables for males and females. These tables allow stratification of individuals for nutrition intervention trials to depict changing nutrition status during medical, surgical, and nutrition interventions.
Relationship Between Emotions, Emotion Regulation, and Well-Being of Professional Caregivers of People With Dementia
Authors: Bassal Catherine , Czellar Judith , Kaiser Susanne , Dan-Glauser Elise S.
Published: June 2015

So far, limited research has been carried out to better understand the interplay between the emotions, the use of emotion regulation strategies, and the well-being of professional caregivers of People with Dementia (PwD). This pilot study ( N = 43 professional caregivers) aimed to (1) describe the type and frequency of emotions experienced at work; (2) analyze the associations between experienced emotions, emotion regulation strategies, and well-being; and (3) test whether the use of specific emotion regulation strategies moderates the relationship between experienced emotions and emotional exhaustion. In the challenging context of professionally caring for PwD, results suggest that (1) caregivers experience positive emotions more frequently than negative emotions; (2) caregivers using relatively inappropriate regulation strategies are more likely to experience negative emotions, less likely to experience positive emotions, and have poorer physical and mental health; and (3) expressive suppression significantly moderates the relationship between positive experienced emotions and emotional exhaustion.
Laryngoscope Illuminance in a Tertiary Care Medical Center
Authors: Murphy Michael K. , Volsky Peter G. , Darrow David H.
Published: June 2015

Objective

To test the hypothesis that a substantial proportion of laryngoscopes exhibit substandard illuminance by comparing laryngoscope illuminance in a tertiary‐level medical center to established standards and identifying features associated with poor illuminance.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional observational study.

Setting

Academic tertiary care medical center (level 1 trauma center, specialty cardiac hospital, and general hospital).

Subjects and Methods

Laryngoscopes from main, cardiac, and outpatient operating rooms; emergency department; and code carts were tested using a standard technique. Illuminance (lux) was chosen as the outcome measure. Benchmarks were derived from the International Standards Organization and medical literature. Light types included incandescent bulb, light‐emitting diode, and xenon. Personnel were surveyed regarding maintenance practices.

Results

Across all hospitals, 691 laryngoscopes were tested. Mean (SD) illuminance was 810 (700) lux for incandescent bulb‐on‐blade designs (n = 237), 1860 (1220) lux for incandescent bulb in‐handle designs (n = 79), 4730 (3210) lux for LED (n = 354), and 28,800 (34,500) lux for xenon (n = 21). Seven percent of units failed to turn on (n = 45). Using an established threshold of 867 lux, 28% of devices (47% of incandescent, 12% of LED, and 10% of xenon) were substandard. All laryngoscopes were cleaned according to standard protocols following use; no preventive maintenance was reported.

Conclusion

Twenty‐eight percent of laryngoscopes in a tertiary care hospital exhibit substandard illuminance; these results corroborate the findings of our inaugural study on this subject. Consequently, our hospital is instituting changes to reduce the likelihood of substandard performance by laryngoscopes in circulation.
Celebrating musical diversity: Training culturally responsive music educators in multiracial Singapore
Authors: Cain Melissa
Published: June 2015

This article explores outcomes of research into the role and place of cultural diversity in primary music classes at five government schools in Singapore. The study highlights the ways in which a variety of factors such as specialist music training, government policy, curriculum documents, and professional development influence teacher practice. In particular, the data presented provides insights into the level of support pre-service teachers receive in order to develop programmes based on cultural diversity, and to allow such programmes to flourish and remain successful. There is strong evidence that a foundation has been laid and a commitment made to providing Singaporean pre-service teachers with a comprehensive experience based on the exploration of diverse musics, particularly in the Asian context. This is apparent in the types of musics presented in primary music classrooms and resulting learning outcomes.
The antecedents of export performance of Brazilian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): The non-linear effects of customer orientation
Authors: Lengler Jorge FB , Sousa Carlos MP , Perin Marcelo Gattermann , Sampaio Cláudio Hoffmann , Martínez-López Francisco J
Published: June 2015

This article examines the determinants of customer orientation and the quadratic effects of customer orientation on export performance. The relationship between customer orientation and export performance has been assumed to have a linear relationship, neglecting the possibility of non-linear relationships. While most studies have been conducted in developed countries, we test our model in Brazil, an emerging market economy. The findings suggest that technology intensity and competitive intensity are key determinants in explaining success in an export market. Our findings also indicate that the relationship between customer orientation and export performance is quadratic (U-shaped) rather than linear. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Microcirculatory response during on-pump versus off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery
Authors: Bienz Marc , Drullinsky David , Stevens Louis-Mathieu , Bracco David , Noiseux Nicolas
Published: June 2015

Objectives:

The use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) during coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is associated with a systemic inflammatory response, resulting in altered microcirculation. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether beating heart surgery can preserve the microcirculation.

Methods:

Sublingual microcirculation was characterized by a Sidestream Darkfield Imaging Microscope during off-pump (OPCABG) and on-pump (ONCABG) surgery. Microcirculatory parameters were evaluated during eight precise perioperative time points.

Results:

The quality of the microcirculation decreased during early ONCABG. OPCABG resulted in a significantly better microcirculation compared to ONCABG for three of six parameters during surgery. However, by the end of surgery and postoperatively, the microcirculatory parameters were no different between the groups.

Conclusions:

While the results do not show a marked preservation of the microcirculation during and after OPCABG compared to ONCABG, they coincide with the body temperature fluctuations of each group during and after surgery. Our work suggests that active warming could impact the microcirculation parameters.
Serum homocysteine is associated with the severity of primary chronic venous disease
Authors: Smith Ross K , Quigley Frank , Tosenovsky Patrik , Velu Ramesh , Bradshaw Barbara , Buettner Petra , Golledge Jonathan
Published: June 2015

Objective

This study was conducted to assess whether serum homocysteine concentration was associated with the severity of primary chronic venous disease.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Methods

A total of 282 primary chronic venous disease patients were enrolled from outpatient vascular services. The severity of venous disease was graded using the Clinical Etiology Anatomy Pathophysiology classification system. The association of serum homocysteine concentration with advanced primary chronic venous disease (C4-6) was assessed using the Mann Whitney U test and logistic regression analysis.

Results

Median (interquartile range) serum homocysteine concentrations were 9.10 µM (7.55–10.75) and 10.40 µM (8.85–13.10) in patients with primary chronic venous disease classified by C1-3 (n = 209) and C4-6 (n = 73) grades, respectively, p < 0.001. Serum homocysteine concentration was positively associated with clinical grade 4–6 after adjusting for other risk factors including age, diabetes, male sex, hypertension, recurrent varicose veins and stroke. Patients with serum homocysteine in the third (odds ratio, 2.76, 95% confidence interval, 1.01–7.54) and fourth (odds ratio 3.29, 95% confidence interval 1.15–9.43) quartiles were more likely to have grade C4-6 chronic venous disease than subjects with serum homocysteine in the first quartile.

Conclusions

Serum homocysteine is positively associated with the severity of primary chronic venous disease and therefore could play a role in promoting chronic venous disease complications.
Changes in the rate of prophylactic vena cava filter insertion at a university hospital
Authors: Smith Andrew , Adrahtas Demetri , Elitharp Doreen , Gasparis Antonios , Labropoulos Nicos , Tassiopoulos Apostolos
Published: June 2015

Objective

We previously demonstrated a high rate of prophylactic vena cava filter (VCF) insertion at our institution. We have since attempted to restrict the use of VCF to indications supported by Level-I evidence. This study was designed to evaluate the success of our interventions.

Methods

All patients receiving VCF between 2007–2009 and 2012–2014 at a university hospital were reviewed. After assessing the use of VCF in the first period, a meeting was convened among the Departments of Radiology, Vascular Surgery and Trauma. Policy was implemented to avoid the inappropriate use of VCF. Data were prospectively collected in the second period to assess the effect of our intervention.

Results

There were 156 VCF placed from 2012 to 2014. VCF was absolutely indicated in 84% of cases, relatively indicated in 9% and prophylactic in 7%. These data contrast our previous experience from 2007 to 2009. In the earlier series, a total of 244 filters were placed, in which 54% of patients had an absolute indication, 14% relative, and 32% prophylactic. There was a significant decrease in filters placed for pure prophylaxis: whereas 76 prophylactic filters were placed between 2007 and 2009, only 11 were placed between 2012 and 2014 ( p < 0.0001). No significant differences existed for relatively indicated filters. The department of trauma and surgical critical care (TSCC) observed the most dramatic change in practice. TSCC placed 61 prophylactic VCF between 2007 and 2009 (57% of all filters placed by the department), and 4 prophylactic VCF from 2012 to 2014 (15% of filters placed by TSCC) ( p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate a significant change in the attitudes regarding prophylactic VCF insertion between the two periods of study. Further investigations must be performed to assess changes in clinical outcomes that may result from the altered practice at our university.
Theoretical Foundations and Practical Applications of Within-Cycle Correction Methods
Authors: Elbasha Elamin H. , Chhatwal Jagpreet
Published: June 2015

Background. Modeling guidelines recommend applying a half-cycle correction (HCC) to outcomes from discrete-time state-transition models (DTSTMs). However, there is still no consensus on why and how to perform the correction. The objective was to provide theoretical foundations for HCC and to compare (both mathematically and numerically) the performance of different correction methods in reducing errors in outcomes from DTSTMs. Methods. We defined 7 methods from the field of numerical integration: Riemann sum of rectangles (left, midpoint, right), trapezoids, life-table, and Simpson’s 1/3rd and 3/8th rules. We applied these methods to a standard 3-state disease progression Markov chain to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical intervention. We solved the discrete- and continuous-time (our gold standard) versions of the model analytically and derived expressions for various outcomes including discounted quality-adjusted life-years, discounted costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Results. The standard HCC method gave the same results as the trapezoidal rule and life-table method. We found situations where applying the standard HCC can do more harm than good. Compared with the gold standard, all correction methods resulted in approximation errors. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the errors need not cancel each other out or become insignificant when incremental outcomes are calculated. We found that a wrong decision can be made with a less accurate method. The performance of each correction method vastly improved when a shorter cycle length was selected; Simpson’s 1/3rd rule was the fastest method to converge to the gold standard. Conclusion. Cumulative outcomes in DTSTMs are prone to errors that can be reduced with more accurate methods like Simpson’s rules. We clarified several misconceptions and provided recommendations and algorithms for practical implementation of these methods.
Prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch 80 kVp coronary computed tomography angiography with 30 mL of 270 mg I/mL contrast material and iterative reconstruction
Authors: Qi Li , Wu Sheng Yong , Meinel Felix G , Zhou Chang Sheng , Wang Qing Qing , McQuiston Andrew D , Ji Xue Man , Schoepf U Joseph , Lu Guang Ming , Zhang Long Jiang
Published: June 2015

Background

The smallest diagnostically appropriate amount of contrast medium should be used in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

Purpose

To investigate the feasibility of prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch CCTA using 30 mL of 270 mg I/mL contrast material, 80 kVp, and iterative reconstruction (IR).

Material and Methods

Eighty-two consecutive patients underwent CCTA with a prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch protocol. Forty-three patients were examined at 100 kVp with filtered back projection after 60 mL of 370 mg I/mL contrast material was administered. Another 39 patients were examined at 80 kVp with IR after 30 mL of 270 mg I/mL contrast material was administered. Subjective and objective image quality was evaluated for each patient. Radiation doses were estimated and compared.

Results

Mean attenuation, noise and signal-to-noise ratio in 80 kVp group were significantly lower than in 100 kVp group (all P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), although a trend towards a lower CNR in 80 kVp group was observed ( P = 0.099). The subjective image quality between the two groups was not significantly different ( P = 0.905). The effective dose and iodine load in 80 kVp group were reduced by 54% and 64%, respectively, when compared with 100 kVp group.

Conclusion

Prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch CCTA at 80 kVp with 30 mL of 270 mg I/mL contrast material and IR is feasible for patients with BMI less than 25 kg/m2 and reduces radiation dose and iodine load when compared with the standard CCTA protocol.
The relaxation effects of stimulative and sedative music on mathematics anxiety: A perception to physiology model
Authors: Gan Samuel Ken-En , Lim Keane Ming-Jie , Haw Yu-Xuan
Published: June 2015

Previous research on music and mathematics anxiety has relied primarily on self-reports without biological measurements. To address whether these parameters were correlated, we included blood pressure physiological measures, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale (MARS) in our study. One hundred and five psychology undergraduates were assigned to sedative, stimulative and “no music” conditions while completing Cambridge GCE O Level mathematical questions. Anxiety was measured pre-, during and posttest. Results showed that MARS was positively correlated with STAI, but not with the physiological measures. A 3 × 3 mixed ANOVA showed differences between the sedative and no music condition for the measures of STAI and MARS, but not for the physiological measures. Further analyses using t-tests found sedative music to elicit a pronounced decrease in systolic blood pressure and the stimulative music to have minimal effect. To explain these findings and the discrepancy with previous studies, we propose a Perception-to-Physiology model for the effect of music in anxiety.
‘Back to the Rough Ground!’ A Grammatical Approach to Trust and International Relations
Authors: Considine Laura
Published: June 2015

This paper asks what it is that we are doing when we talk about trust in international politics. It begins by reviewing the recent and growing body of research on trust and International Relations (IR). It claims that the existing literature is based on particular practices of representation that unquestioningly attempt to find the correct meaning for trust and that this representational account of meaning limits the form of the research, carrying assumptions about meaning that lead to several semantic and methodological problems. The paper challenges this way of understanding through the use of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations and proposes an alternative, grammatical approach to trust and IR based on ‘meaning as use’. To illustrate this, the paper then conducts a grammatical investigation of the use of trust regarding nuclear arms control with the Soviet Union during the second term of the Reagan presidency. This challenges the familiar narrative of the role of trust at this time by going back to the ‘rough ground’ of President Reagan’s speech on trust and nuclear weapons.
Tests of Theories of Crime in Female Prisoners
Authors: Lindberg Marc A. , Fugett April , Adkins Ashtin , Cook Kelsey
Published: June 2015

Several general theories of crime were tested with path models on 293 female prisoners in a U.S. State prison. The theories tested included Social Bond and Control, Thrill/Risk Seeking, and a new attachment-based Developmental Dynamic Systems model. A large battery of different instruments ranging from measures of risk taking, to a crime addiction scale, to Childhood Adverse Events, to attachments and clinical issues were used. The older general theories of crime did not hold up well under the rigor of path modeling. The new dynamic systems model was supported that incorporated adverse childhood events leading to (a) peer crime, (b) crime addiction, and (c) a measure derived from the Attachment and Clinical Issues Questionnaire (ACIQ) that takes individual differences in attachments and clinical issues into account. The results were discussed in terms of new approaches to Research Defined Criteria of Diagnosis (RDoC) and new approaches to intervention.
Respecting global wisdom: Enhancing the cultural relevance of occupational therapy’s theoretical base
Authors: Whalley Hammell Karen
Published: June 2015

Dominant models of occupation that inform the international occupational therapy profession have been delineated predominantly by able-bodied, middle class, middle-aged, white, urban, North American Anglophone academics with Judeo-Christian backgrounds, thus reflecting the culturally-specific perspectives of a global minority. Because these models exclude priorities and occupations valued by the global majority, they are demonstrably inadequate. This opinion piece highlights the imperative of incorporating the wisdom of a diversity of global peoples into occupational therapy’s theories of occupation to enhance the possibility that the profession’s theories and practices will be culturally relevant, safe and inclusive, rather than ethnocentric, imperialistic and potentially irrelevant.
Gender and sexuality I
Authors: Johnston Lynda
Published: June 2015

This report considers gender diversity across a range of spaces and places. I note that while the notion of gender has been troubled, there exist opportunities to trouble it further. I highlight the scholarship that has sought to deconstruct genders, and the binary framing of man/woman and male/female roles and relationships. The queering of sexuality has meant that geographers are now tracing the ways in which lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer (LGBTIQ) bodies experience and live their gender beyond normative binaries. Research concerned with relational gendered subjectivities within LGBTIQ communities is discussed, and I flag the trend that this research may conflate gendered experiences while privileging sexual subjectivities. Finally, I turn to the recent interest by geographers who – drawing on queer and trans* theories – argue for new and innovative understandings of gender diversity.
The complementary role of cross-sectional and time-series information in forecasting stock returns
Authors: Zhou Qing , Faff Robert
Published: June 2015

While linear time-series models, technical analysis, and momentum models all extract information from past market data, they each interpret data differently. We test the informative role of three representative models and examine the trading performance of a combined forecasting model at the individual stock level. Our results indicate that these models all contain marginal information and complement each other. The combined trading model captures higher upward trending returns and provides the same downward trending returns compared with the buy-and-hold strategy.
A comparison between prospective Internet-based and paper diary recordings of headache among adolescents in the general population
Authors: Krogh Anne-Berit , Larsson Bo , Salvesen Øyvind , Linde Mattias
Published: June 2015

Aim

The aim of this article was to develop and apply an Internet-based headache diary (i-diary) for adolescents and compare it with a paper-diary (p-diary) regarding adherence, user acceptability and recorded headache activity.

Methods

In a cross-sectional school-based study, a representative sample of 488 adolescents aged 12–18 years were randomly allocated by cluster sampling to record for three weeks in i-diaries or p-diaries their headache intensity, disability, and use of acute medication.

Results

A significantly ( p = 0.008) higher proportion of adolescents in the i-diary group used the diary at least once during the 21-day period (86% vs 76% for the p-diary). However, the p-diary group completed a significantly ( p < 0.001) higher number of diary days (20.8 vs 15.0 days for the i-diary). The response rate for the i-diary-group was largely evenly distributed over the study period; conversely, approximately two-thirds of the adolescents using the p-diary responded on all 21 days, whereas one-fourth did not respond at all. The two diary types were rated as equal in easiness to remember ( p = 0.25), but the i-diaries were more bothersome to use ( p = 0.029).

Conclusion

Although p-diary users completed a higher proportion of diary days, i-diaries provided more reliable and credible estimates of headache parameters because of better real-time assessment.
The Queen of los Congos
Authors: Walker Tamara J.
Published: June 2015

In 1812, in Lima, an enslaved woman named María Santos Puente was ousted from her post as queen of an African-descent confraternity and replaced by a free woman. Refusing to step down quietly, Santos Puente took her grievance to court. In examining the details of the case, this article draws attention to the ways in which confraternity membership provided access to community, kinship, and sources of mutual aid. It also shows how, in denying her the role of queen, the confraternity cut off one of the few avenues through which enslaved women in Lima could attain privileged and esteemed status.