bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theoretical Study of Terminal Vanadium(V) Chalcogenido Complexes Bearing Chlorido and Methoxido Ligands
Authors: Tetteh Samuel , Zugle Ruphino
Published: November 2017

Solvent (methanol) coordinated vanadium(V) chalcogenido complexes bearing chlorido and methoxido ligands have been studied computationally by means of density functional (DFT) methods. The gas phase complexes were fully optimized using B3LYP/GEN functionals with 6-31+G⁎⁎ and LANL2DZ basis sets. The optimized complexes show distorted octahedral geometries around the central vanadium atom. The ligand pπ-vanadium dπ interactions were analyzed by natural bond order (NBO) and natural population analyses (NPA). These results show strong stabilization of the V=O bond as was further confirmed by the analyses of the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs). Second-order perturbation analyses also revealed substantial delocalization of lone pair electrons from the oxido ligand into vacant non-Lewis (Rydberg) orbitals as compared to the sulfido and seleno analogues. These results show significant ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) interactions. Full interaction map (FIM) of the reference complex confirms hydrogen bond interactions involving the methanol (O-H) and the chlorido ligand.
Geology and Metallogenesis of the Sediment-Hosted Cu-Ag Deposit of Tizert (Igherm Inlier, Anti-Atlas Copperbelt, Morocco)
Authors: Oummouch Abdellah , Essaifi Abderrahim , Zayane Rachid , Maddi Othmane , Zouhair Mohamed , Maacha Lhou
Published: November 2017

The Tizert Cu-Ag deposit is the largest of a series of sediment-hosted copper deposits of the Anti-Atlas copper province in Morocco. Mineralized rocks in the deposit contain disseminated sulphides within a Late Ediacaran, dominantly siliciclastic sedimentary formation named the Basal Series. Isopach map of the Basal Series thickness shows that during the Late Ediacaran the area was composed of large subsiding zones separated by paleohighs. The ore-grade zones are well developed along basin margins adjacent to the basement paleohighs. These mineralized zones display a lateral sulphide zoning with central bornite-chalcocite zones grading outward to intermediate chalcopyrite and external pyrite zones. There is also a vertical sulphide zoning with evolution from bornite and chalcocite dominant mineralized rocks at the bottom to chalcopyrite and pyrite dominant mineralized rocks at the top of the lithostratigraphic succession. A second style of mineralization is represented by sulphide filled fractures and veins present in the Basal Series, as well as in the basement and the overlying dolomites. The similarity of the paragenetic sequences between the disseminated and the vein-hosted mineralization suggests that they may be related to the same mineralizing event, the disseminated style of mineralization being rapidly followed by the onset of the vein-style mineralization.
Cetuximab-Associated Crescentic Diffuse Proliferative Glomerulonephritis
Authors: Manthri Sukesh , Bandaru Sindhura , Chang Anthony , Hudali Tamer
Published: November 2017

Cetuximab-induced nephrotoxicity is very rare, occurring in less than 1% of colorectal cancer patients and not defined in other populations. We report a rare case of crescentic diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis (GN) that developed in close temporal association with cetuximab treatment. A 65-year-old female recently completed chemotherapy with cetuximab treatment for moderately differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma. She was admitted with acute renal failure and nephrotic-range proteinuria. Laboratory data showed serum creatinine of 6.6 mg/dl and urinalysis showed proteinuria, moderate hemoglobinuria, hyaline casts (41/LPF), WBC (28/HPF), and RBC (81/HPF). Serologic studies were negative for ANA, anti-GBM, ANCA, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Serum C3 and C4 level were normal. Renal biopsy showed crescentic diffuse proliferative GN with focal features of thrombotic microangiopathy. Patient was started on cyclophosphamide and steroids. Her renal function did not improve on day 8 and she was started on hemodialysis. Previous reports suggest that EGFR-targeting medications can possibly trigger or exacerbate an IgA-mediated glomerular process leading to renal failure. This case suggests that cetuximab therapy may have triggered or exacerbated a severe glomerular injury with an unfavorable outcome. Treating physicians should maintain a high degree of caution and monitor renal function in patients on EGFR inhibitors.
Mesenchymal Hamartoma of the Liver: Complete Excision Always Necessary
Authors: Koganti Suman B. , Thumma Venu Madhav , Nagari Bheerappa
Published: November 2017

Mesenchymal hamartoma (MH) is not an uncommon tumor of the liver in the age group of 2–10 years. It is the second most common benign liver tumor in children. Previously considered a developmental anomaly, newer insights into other theories of origin including toxic-metabolic, ischemic, and a true neoplastic process are in progress. Previous understanding of a purely benign nature of the tumor is being overridden by a real malignant transformation. Complete excision of the tumor with clear margins is recommended to achieve a long term cure. A thorough understanding of the natural history of these tumors and skillful surgical treatment are indispensable elements of care.
The Membrane Attack Complex/Perforin Superfamily
Authors: Moreno-Hagelsieb Gabriel , Vitug Bennett , Medrano-Soto Arturo , Saier Jr. Milton H.
Published: November 2017

The membrane attack complex/perforin (MACPF) superfamily consists of a diverse group of proteins involved in bacterial pathogenesis and sporulation as well as eukaryotic immunity, embryonic development, neural migration and fruiting body formation. The present work shows that the evolutionary relationships between the members of the superfamily, previously suggested by comparison of their tertiary structures, can also be supported by analyses of their primary structures. The superfamily includes the MACPF family (TC 1.C.39), the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) family (TC 1.C.12.1 and 1.C.12.2) and the pleurotolysin pore-forming (pleurotolysin B) family (TC 1.C.97.1), as revealed by expansion of each family by comparison against a large protein database, and by the comparisons of their hidden Markov models. Clustering analyses demonstrated grouping of the CDC homologues separately from the 12 MACPF subfamilies, which also grouped separately from the pleurotolysin B family. Members of the MACPF superfamily revealed a remarkably diverse range of proteins spanning eukaryotic, bacterial, and archaeal taxonomic domains, with notable variations in protein domain architectures. Our strategy should also be helpful in putting together other highly divergent protein families.
“Were the Jews of Qumran Hellenistic Jews?”
Authors: Wright Benjamin G.
Published: November 2017

The people who produced and used the scrolls offer us a particularly fascinating example of the extent to which we might call the people/communities of the scrolls “Hellenistic Jews.” The default concept of antiquity that scholars use, the way the term “sectarian” gets employed, and the geography of the Hellenistic world all separate the yaḥad from the larger Hellenistic world. Yet, the scrolls compare well with Hellenistic discourses and practices of collection, textual scholarship, and scientific knowledge. Moreover, if we read the scrolls alongside of other Jewish texts usually considered Hellenistic, we see similar patterns of thought and common interests. In this sense, then, the yaḥad and the scrolls fit well into their Hellenistic environment.
The Poetics of Illumination
Authors: Tangney John
Published: November 2017

Michael Madsen’s documentary about the disposal of nuclear waste in Finland uses a symbolic language whose meaning can be amplified by St. Augustine’s theology, and in particular by his theories of reading. Because nuclear waste remains dangerous for 100,000 years, the problem of its disposal forces us to think about the inevitable end of our own civilization. The necessity to place warnings on the waste burial sites demands that we find ways to speak to people in the future with whom we may have no cultural continuity. It makes ancient theories of eternity newly relevant, and potentially awakens our sense of the sacred in a world that has been stripped of sacredness during the scientific era that gave rise to nuclear power in the first place.
Does an Islamic Finance Industry Need a Unification of Standards? A Qualitative Discussion
Authors: Mohamad Azhar , Kashi Aghilasse
Published: November 2017

The two main problems faced by the Islamic finance industry in Muslim countries are that the markets are fragmented, which gives rise to different governing standards, and that the markets’ growth is very much region-centric. In this article, using a qualitative approach, we identify the obstacles facing the industry in its quest to unify the differences and implement a uniform standard. We argue that if Malaysia’s Islamic finance industry is to become a leader in the global Islamic finance industry, a key policy must be to reduce the gaps in Islamic finance practices between countries by adopting unified standards. Unifying standards could enable Muslim countries to accrue greater benefits from the globalisation of the Islamic financial sector and attract more foreign direct investment and portfolio equity flows. It could also enable greater integration of Islamic financial markets, increase diversification opportunities and expand the set of available financial instruments.
Modern Extremist Groups and the Division of the World: A Critique from an Islamic Perspective
Authors: Badar a Mohamed , Nagata b Masaki
Published: November 2017

Modern extremist groups have revived the use of certain concepts of Islamic dogma and wilfully misinterpreted them as a means of achieving their own ends. Dae‘sh (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) is the most striking example. They have made declarations of takfir (excommunication) regarding Muslim rulers, maintaining that only Dae‘sh land is a dar al-Islam (abode of Islam) and that other lands are dar al-kufr or harb (abodes of unbelief or war), just as the Khawarij sect believed in the 7th century ce. They do not employ the concept of hijra (migration) in its traditional, defensive sense, but rather as a means of strengthening their own power by recruiting from around the world and launching military jihads, all in order to ‘reclaim’ the dar al-kufr and establish an Islamic state. This article examines the evolution of these terms throughout Islamic history, their misinterpretation by extremist groups, and their modern legal status.
Corporate Governance in Ukrainian Firms: Multiple Model Selections, Their Current Functioning, and Potential Future Problems
Authors: Syvyy Roman
Published: November 2017

This article explores corporate governance in Ukrainian firms in order to show the parallel application of multiple models of corporate governance within the same business and cultural framework. Ukrainian corporate law is based on a two-tier system, according to which joint-stock companies are governed by two boards: a management board and a supervisory board. Nevertheless, those Ukrainian firms that aim to raise capital on international stock markets and are ready to go public tend to use the uk principles-based model. Since a unitary board structure in public companies is not recognized by Ukrainian law, these firms have to migrate from Ukraine, setting up their centers of corporate governance in foreign jurisdictions. At the same time, recent amendments to the Law on Joint-Stock Companies aimed at enhancing the protection of investors’ rights in Ukraine significantly expanded the legal requirements for corporate governance in public joint-stock companies. The introduction of special statutory obligations along with significantly toughened listing requirements for corporate governance in public joint-stock companies demonstrates the impact of the us rules-based model on Ukrainian corporate governance regulations. Therefore, the governance practices of Ukrainian firms and recent changes in Ukrainian corporate law are evidence of the convergence of corporate governance models in the modern world.
Geonic Talmud Commentaries in Transition: A Hand-list by Joseph Rosh ha-Seder
Authors: Dubovick Yosaif Mordechai
Published: November 2017

Joseph Rosh ha-Seder was a renowned copyist and Talmud scholar in 12th century Egypt. His personal hand-lists of quotations and notes, found in the Cairo Genizah, serve to reconstruct the outline of many of his literary projects. This article presents an analysis of one such fragment, containing several nonconsecutive Talmud commentaries which may be attributed to the geonic academies in Baghdad. Among the questions raised to guide future research are: To what end did these commentaries serve the compiler? What can be learned from the language of the commentaries (Judeo-Arabic as opposed to Hebrew)? What can this fragment tell us about the proliferation of geonic commentaries over the course of two centuries? What can this fragment tell us of Joseph’s own literary capabilities and plans?
Persecution in Igbo-Nigerian Civil-War Narratives
Authors: Chukwumah Ignatius , Nebeife Cassandra Ifeoma
Published: November 2017

Sociopolitical phenomena such as corruption, political instability, (domestic) violence, cultural fragmentation, and the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) have been central themes of Nigerian narratives. Important as these are, they tend to touch on the periphery of the major issue at stake, which is the vector of persecution underlying the Nigerian tradition in general and in modern Igbo Nigerian narratives in particular, novels and short stories written in English which capture, wholly or in part, the Igbo cosmology and experience in their discursive formations. The present study of such modern Igbo Nigerian narratives as Okpewho’s The Last Duty (1976), Iyayi’s Heroes (1986), Adichie’s Half of a Yellow Sun (2007), and other novels and short stories applies René Girard’s theory of the pharmakos (Greek for scapegoat) to this background of persecution, particularly as it subtends the condition of the Igbo in postcolonial Nigeria in the early years of independence.
Creativity and the Burden of Thoughts
Authors: Kekeghe Stephen
Published: November 2017

The art of creative expression is a mentally tasking endeavour which requires intense probing of the creator’s inward states. Since writers create in solitude and and engage in dialogic strategies in shaping their imagery, they manifest ‘normal’ neurotic episodes, which are privileged as markers of artistic genius. Despair has thus been acknowledged as a significant feature of the creative imagination. Many writers script out their distressed moods, a paradoxical catharsis, in artistic mentation, that has become a major issue in contemporary studies of scriptotherapy, especially in Europe and North America. Studies of psychotherapy have revealed that the art of re-creating agonizing experiences brings mental restoration to the writer. Due to the emotional commitment and spontaneity required, poetry is clearly a convenient literary genre for the exploration of despondency and melancholic depression. However, this subject of poetry therapy has not been given adequate attention in Nigerian literary scholarship. The present study attempts an exemplary ‘poetic-diagnosis’ of melancholia in Wumi Raji’s Rolling Dreams. The article relies on psychoanalysis, a theory of the mind, deployed for the analysis of the abject imagery of the poems, and on deconstructionist theory, for autonomous and polysemous investigation of the melancholic poetic canvas of the collection.
The Population Mean Mood Predicts The Prevalence of Depression in an Australian Context
Authors: Sia Aaron D , Williams Lana J , Pasco Julie A , Jacka Felice N , Brennan-Olsen Sharon L , Veerman J Lennert
Published: November 2017

Background:

The mean population mood has been demonstrated to strongly correlate with the prevalence of depression in European populations. Mean population mood has, therefore, been proposed as both a metric to measure the impact of population-level interventions to prevent depression and a target for public health policy.

Aim:

To demonstrate the relationship between mean population mood and the prevalence of depression using Australian data in order to broaden the applicability of this finding to the Australian population.

Methods:

We used data from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study to assess the relationship between population mean mood and depression. Participants reported mood symptoms via questionnaire (the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale or General Health Questionnaire-12). Depression was diagnosed by semi-structured clinical interview ( Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Non-patient Edition). Stratification by age and socio-economic status was used to create subpopulation groups. Socio-economic status was measured using Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage quintiles, an area-based measure based on Australian census data and published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The mean subpopulation questionnaire scores and subpopulation prevalence of depression were then analysed using regression and predictive models.

Results:

Mean subpopulation questionnaire scores correlated well with the prevalence of depression across socio-economic status groups in women but not age groups. Questionnaire scores tended to underestimate the prevalence of depression in the young and overestimate it in the elderly.

Conclusion:

The mean population mood was demonstrated to correlate with the population prevalence of depression in Australia for women, but not for men. Due to the issues of questionnaire validity and sample size in the oldest age groups, the age analysis is unlikely to be a representative of population characteristics. Further work to identify population determinants of mean mood could potentially create policy targets to reduce the prevalence of depression.
Music Teacher Knowledge: An Examination of the Intersections Between Instrumental Music Teaching and Conducting
Authors: Forrester Sommer H.
Published: November 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the complexities of instrumental music teacher knowledge as they relate to the intersection between instrumental music teaching and conducting, and to explore how participants describe and perceive these intersections. The key research question guiding this study was, How do high school instrumental music teachers describe the intersections between instrumental music teaching and conducting? This study focused on the participants’ ( N = 4) perceptions and descriptions of the intersections between instrumental music teaching and conducting. A multiple-case-study design was used. The central finding of this study suggests that the practice of instrumental music teaching demands a specialized form of knowledge that reflects the integration of, rather than the intersection between, both teaching and conducting. This specialized form of knowledge informs the participants’ in-the-moment decision making, judgments, decisions, and communication with students and the ensemble as a whole. The findings of this study suggest implications for music teacher education and conducting education, specifically in the areas of devising professional development opportunities that are systematic, multilevel, and multifaceted and that mirror the integrated nature of teaching and conducting that occurs in practice.
Family Structure and Family Management Practices: Associations With Positive Aspects of Youth Well-Being
Authors: Beckmeyer Jonathon J. , Russell Luke T.
Published: November 2017

Using data from a national sample of 15-year-olds ( N = 681), we tested if four family management practices (parental knowledge, behavioral control, parental academic involvement, and unsupervised time with peers) differed between family structures (i.e., biological-parent, stepfather, or single-mother family). We then identified the family management practices associated with positive youth well-being (psychosocial maturity, positive friendship networks, and school bonding) within each family structure. Parental knowledge, academic involvement, and behavioral control were greater in biological-parent than single-mother families. Stepfather families only differed from biological-parent and single-mother families on parental academic involvement. Although family management practices were associated with youth well-being in all family structures, the specific family management practices associated with each aspect of youth well-being varied across structures. Results have implications for how family-based interventions might be adjusted to better account for the specific characteristics of biological-parent, stepfather, and single-mother families.
Feeling bad when your partner is away: The role of dysfunctional cognition and affect regulation strategies in insecurely attached individuals
Authors: Meuwly Nathalie , Davila Joanne
Published: November 2017

Close relationships have a positive impact on partners’ well-being. However, not every individual seems to benefit to the same extent from being in a close relationship. Insecure attachment is suggested to play a role in this. This study examined the role of attachment insecurity in people’s negative cognitions and dysfunctional affect regulation when faced with a potential relationship threat. Based on the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations Paradigm, cognitions of 155 participants were recorded while they imagined a separation from their romantic partner. Highly anxious individuals were found to think more negatively about their romantic relationship while imagining a potential relationship threat, which in turn increased their negative affect and negative ratings of the self and their relationship. A different pattern was found for avoidance; highly avoidant individuals benefited from negating the potential threat which in turn decreased their negative affect. Insecurely attached individuals, especially highly anxious people, should be helped to engage in more adaptive thinking and affect regulation in relationship-threatening situations to improve both their relational and individual well-being.
Recognition, reconnection, and renewal
Authors: Holder Robyn L , Daly Kathleen
Published: November 2017

Money as recompense for crime is variously described as making victims whole, restoring them to their pre-victimisation status, recognising the harm done, and facilitating closure and healing. This article explores the meaning of money to survivors of sexual victimisation and its place in their lives. Drawing on interviews with 20 female and male victims who applied for financial assistance to a state-administered scheme in Australia, we examine their motivations for applying, their reflections on the money received, and how they spent it. Claimants can receive two types of money in the overall financial assistance award: one for eligible expenses (or ‘economic loss’) and another, the ‘special assistance’ payment (for ‘non-economic loss’ or what is termed ‘pain and suffering’), the latter of which they can spend in any way they wish. Most survivors applied for financial assistance because they required financial help, but upon receiving the ‘special assistance’ payment, half said it meant acknowledgement by others. They spent this money on practical things, alone or in combination with items related to self-renewal and savings. In jurisdictions having a payment for ‘pain and suffering’, we argue that its meaning is better conveyed to survivors as symbolic recognition of the wrong rather than a token recognition of the harm or injuries. If the aim of a scheme is victim recovery, emphasis should be placed on activities that enable survivors to reconnect with others and rebuild the self.
Obama White House photos limited by access policies
Authors: Dahmen Nicole Smith , Coyle Erin K.
Published: November 2017

Through surveys and in-depth interviews with members of the White House News Photographers Association, this study indicates that visual journalists understand the value of the watchdog role and that current White House practices interfere with this critical function. Limiting news media access and attempting to control the visual narrative undermines the ability of the press to perform the watchdog function that is critical for democratic self-governance.
The IN-PANCIA Study: Clinical Evaluation of Gastrointestinal Dysfunction and Failure, Multiple Organ Failure, and Levels of Citrulline in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Fagoni Nazzareno , Piva Simone , Marino Rosella , Chiarini Giovanni , Ferrari Daniela , Grespi Eleonora , Bertuetti Rita , Barbieri Silvia , Latronico Nicola , Rasulo Frank
Published: November 2017

Purpose:

Gastrointestinal dysfunction and failure (GID and GIF) in critically ill patients are a common, relevant, and underestimated complications in ICU patients. The aims of this study were (1) to determine plasmatic levels of citrulline, glutamine, and arginine as markers of GID/GIF in critically ill patients with or without GID/GIF with or without multiple organ failure (MOF) and (2) to assess the role of intra-abdominal hypertension in these patient groups.

Materials and Methods:

This is a 1-year, monocentric (Italian hospital), prospective observational study. Inclusion criteria were adult patients with GID/GIF, with or without MOF. The GIF score was daily evaluated in 39 critically ill patients. Amino acids were measured at the time of GID or GIF.

Results:

We enrolled 39 patients. Nine patients developed GID and 7 GIF; 6 of patients with GID/GIF developed MOF. Citrulline was lower ( P < .001) in patients with GID/GIF (11.3 [4.4] µmol/L), compared to patients without GID/GIF (22.4 [6.8] µmol/L); likewise, glutamine was lower in patients with GID/GIF, whereas arginine was nonstatistically different between the 2 groups. Intra-abdominal pressure was higher in patients affected by MOF (13.0 [2.2] mm Hg) than in patients with GIF/GID without MOF (9.6 [2.6] mm Hg) and compared to patients without GID/GIF (7.2 [2.1] mm Hg).

Conclusions:

Both GID and GIF in critically ill patients are associated with low levels of citrulline and glutamine, which could be considered as markers of small bowel dysfunction. The higher the GIF score, the lower the citrulline levels. Patients affected by MOF had higher levels of intra-abdominal pressure.
“Free but Still Walking the Yard”: Prisonization and the Problems of Reentry
Authors: Martin Liam
Published: November 2017

This paper draws on nine months of ethnographic research living in a halfway house and interviews with former prisoners to theorize the embodied experience of reentry. I treat prison release as a sudden change in social position, in which people with deeply ingrained prison habits and dispositions confront new patterns of daily life in the outside world. This mismatch between embodiment and environment can create significant problems: triggering feelings of stress and anxiety, making it difficult to function in routine social situations, and amplifying exclusion from the labor market and other institutions. I use the concept of habitus to capture the interplay of structural determinism and individual agency in reentry transitions, drawing attention to both the lingering impact of prisonization and continued change and adaptation among former prisoners entering new social settings. The analysis sheds light on the complex challenges faced by the record numbers of Americans flowing out of prison each year.
Ownership and Control of Widely and Closely Held Firms in India
Authors: Kavya Balakrishnan , Shijin Santhakumar
Published: November 2017

The fundamental dichotomy between dispersed and focused ownership system has been a critical issue in the field of corporate governance. The concentrated ownership mainly controlled by families or state give more supremacy to firms over cash-flow rights. This study investigates the ownership structure of Indian corporates primarily vested in the hands of promoter and promoter groups. Using ordinary least square estimates, the study identifies the determinants of concentrated ownership structure. Further, the study attempts to provide evidence on the convergence of the controls in Indian firms, and thereby assess the wealth concentrated amidst few. The findings of the study reveal contrasting evidence against widely affirmed notion in finance literature by Berle and Means (1932) that widely held firm is the organizational framework of large enterprises. In contrast, our findings reveal that concentrated ownership holds large corporations. Moreover, in addition to the constituents such as firm size, the number of stock markets and geographic ownership also contribute towards a significant impact on concentrated ownership.
Communicating the Importance of Music in Early Childhood
Authors: Koops Lisa Huisman
Published: November 2017

In this column, I encourage early childhood professionals to clearly and intentionally communicate the importance of music in their programs to parents, administrators, and other stakeholders. I suggest three rationales for the inclusion of music in early childhood programs, give examples of music activities that illustrate each justification, and provide suggested reading and resources for those seeking to advocate for their programs. Whether we are teaching early childhood parent-child classes at a community music school, teaching preK classes within our elementary schools, or training preschool teachers on how to use music in the classroom, it is imperative that we know why music is essential in children’s lives and can communicate this clearly to those who ask.
Cognitive function is a major determinant of income among multiple sclerosis patients in Sweden acting independently from physical disability
Authors: Kavaliunas Andrius , Danylaite Karrenbauer Virginija , Gyllensten Hanna , Manouchehrinia Ali , Glaser Anna , Olsson Tomas , Alexanderson Kristina , Hillert Jan
Published: November 2017

Background:

In multiple sclerosis (MS), various aspects of cognitive function can be detrimentally affected, thus patients’ employment and social functioning is commonly impacted.

Objective:

To analyse income among MS patients in relation to cognitive function, assessed with the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT).

Methods:

A cross-sectional study including 2080 MS patients was conducted linking national register-based data. Descriptive statistics and a two-part model were used to estimate differences in earnings and social benefits.

Results:

MS patients in the highest SDMT score quartile earned more than twice annually compared to patients in the lowest quartile, whereas patients in the lowest quartile received three times more income through social benefits. The difference in earnings and benefits across the SDMT performance quartiles remained statistically significant after adjusting for various clinical and socio-demographic variables, including physical disability. The corrected prevalence ratios for MS patients in the highest quartile for having income from earnings and benefits were 1.40 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29–1.49) and 0.81 (95% CI: 0.71–0.90), respectively, when compared to the patients in the lowest quartile.

Conclusion:

Cognitive function affects the financial situation of MS patients negatively and independently of physical disability. This warrants cognitive testing as a routine measure in health care services for MS patients.
The Order of Human Interdependencies: Simulating Elias’ One-level Multi-person Models
Authors: Hemmerechts Kenneth , Vicente Nohemi Jocabeth Echeverria , Kavadias Dimokritos
Published: November 2017

Sociologist Norbert Elias made it his lifework to describe and explain long-term processes. According to Elias, these processes cannot be studied voluntaristically by only focusing on human intentions or motivations. This is because they are the unplanned result of a whole spectrum of interactions of different people over time. According to Elias, these interactions between individuals interweave to produce a development that is relatively autonomous from the actions of individuals. To illustrate how the actions of individuals interweave and produce emergent dynamics, Elias constructed several theoretical models that are simplified versions of social processes. Importantly, the different models state precise propositions and consequences of specific types of interweaving that can be formally tested. This article simulates the Eliasian approach to social life. We reproduce the theoretical models of Elias with a method that is highly suited to investigate their emergent dynamics: agent-based modelling. Agent-based models are computer models that simulate agents (i.e. individuals or groups of individuals) and their interaction with other agents. More specifically, we test whether the theorized consequences of the Eliasian models exist when we implement their propositions in a computational framework.
Psychiatric care of children with autism spectrum disorder – What do their siblings think about it? A qualitative study
Authors: Sibeoni Jordan , Chambon Louise , Pommepuy Noel , Rappaport Clementine , Revah-Levy Anne
Published: November 2017

The expectations and role of families in the care of children with autism spectrum disorder are increasingly important. Nonetheless, no study has thus far explored the perspectives of siblings about the care received by a brother or sister with this disorder. The objective of this study was to fill this gap in the literature. This multicentre qualitative study took place in France, where we conducted semi-structured interviews with adolescents who were older siblings of children receiving care in a day hospital for an autism spectrum disorder. Data collection by purposive sampling continued until we reached ‘theoretical sufficiency’, and data analysis was thematic. The study included 20 participants: 13 sisters and 7 brothers. Four themes emerged in the data analysis: (1) the treatment targets, (2) the treatment’s perceived effectiveness, (3) the complex questions it raises and (4) the role of intrafamily relationships. Our results allowed us to report original aspects of the experience of siblings, in particular, their confusion with regard to the treatment, their difficulty in separating themselves from their parents’ discourse and their assertion of their role as caregivers for their younger brothers and sisters.
Effect of autoclaved lightweight concrete panels on the mechanical performance of container building and its equivalent method
Authors: Li Yang , Wang Huajie , Qian Hongliang , Lei Yanxiang , Bai Qiao
Published: November 2017

As a new structure system using containers as building modules, container building has been widely promoted around the world. However, research on the mechanical performance of container building is rare, especially the one using autoclaved lightweight concrete panels as enclosure materials. This article mainly studied the effect of autoclaved lightweight concrete panels on the mechanical performance of container building and its equivalent method. First, container finite element model with autoclaved lightweight concrete panels infilled was established, and mechanical performance and working principle of nine container models under five loading scenarios were analyzed. Then, integral equivalent model considering the effect of autoclaved lightweight concrete panels was established, and its lateral stiffness was compared with that of a pure frame model. Results show that autoclaved lightweight concrete panels could effectively enhance the lateral stiffness and ultimate capacity of container module. Equivalent spring model could effectively simulate the stiffness enhancement provided by the autoclaved lightweight concrete panels, and the story stiffness of a seven-floor container building with the effect considered rises by 60% approximately than that of a pure frame model. The results could provide technical support for economic and rational design and application of container building.
The evolution of political networks: Evidence from the Council of the European Union
Authors: Huhe Narisong , Naurin Daniel , Thomson Robert
Published: November 2017

We test two of the main explanations of the formation of political ties. The first states that political actors are more likely to form a relationship if they have similar policy preferences. The second explanation, from network theory, predicts that the likelihood of a tie between two actors depends on the presence of certain relationships with other actors. Our data consist of a unique combination of actors' policy positions and their network relations over time in the Council of the European Union. We find evidence that both types of explanations matter, although there seems to be variation in the extent to which preference similarity affects network evolution. We consider the implications of these findings for understanding the decision-making in the Council.
An explorative study of inputs for entrepreneurs’ decision-making to create new venture in a high-tech context
Authors: Zivdar Mehdi , Imanipour Narges , Talebi Kambeiz , Hosseini Seyed Rasul
Published: November 2017

The explanation of the entrepreneurial decision-making phenomenon requires the adoption of a process approach. Yet, the majority of the research in this field has been done without utilization of a process approach. Besides, the decision-making process of entrepreneurs in any society is influenced by its environmental context. Therefore, this research adopts a process approach and aims to conceptualize inputs of decision-making process for new venture creation (NVC) in an Iranian high-tech context. The research employs qualitative–explorative design in order to take into account the specific regional context of Iran. This study utilized event-based interviews with 20 nascent entrepreneurs. Results of coding, categorizing and validating the research findings, revealed six main conceptual categories as the main inputs of the decision-making process for NVC in this context. The suggested propositions illustrate that the developed categories afford the two elements of individual decision maker and the decision environment. This article advances entrepreneurship literature by adopting an appropriate analytical focus and also utilizing a design which epistemologically and methodologically is applicable for involving context of exploration to attain more rigor and theoretical relevancy.
Let’s get physical
Authors: Jones Paul , Jones Amanda , Williams-Burnett Nicola , Ratten Vanessa
Published: November 2017

The study explores the entrepreneurial experiences of sport coaches/instructors and their operation, thus contributing to a nascent literature. There is minimal literature evaluating entrepreneurial experiences in different occupational contexts. This is particularly true in newer entrepreneurial occupations such as sports coaches/instructors and how they function as business owners. This study considers the challenges, drivers, motivations and perceptions sport coaches/instructors exhibit and face. The results provided a plurality of diverse practice and attitudes towards self-employment sports coaches/instructors. In terms of motivations, respondents revealed both necessity and personal enjoyment as a driver to career choice. Respondents stressed the challenges involved with self-employment sports coaching, which included time management and problems with financing the business.
Mandatory service learning at university: Do less-inclined students learn from it?
Authors: Chan Stephen CF , Ngai Grace , Kwan Kam-por
Published: November 2017

At many universities, there is a growing realization that the university owes a social responsibility to the community. Society invests in its citizens through the university, and the university empowers its students to realize their potential, both as competent professionals and as responsible citizens. This requires the cultivation of attributes such as social awareness, ethical leadership, and social responsibility, which are generally recognized as being difficult to teach in a classroom setting. Service learning is a form of active learning that integrates meaningful service to the community with academic study and reflective learning. In service learning, the learning goals of the students are as important as the benefits of the service that is rendered to the community; in addition, the two are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. Research has shown that service learning contributes positively to the attainment of many of the aforementioned desired graduate attributes for university students. However, there is much controversy about whether service learning should be mandated. There is a need to examine whether and to what extent students’ learning and development from completing a mandatory service learning subject are influenced by their initial inclination. Data described in this article were collected from 756 students via an online post-experience survey. Results show that students’ total learning experience from service learning had a much stronger impact on their learning and development than their initial inclination or even interest in the subject.
“You are what you are in this world”: visual framing and exemplification in media coverage of the Guttenfelder Instagram photographs from North Korea
Authors: Holiday Steven , Anderson Harper D , Lewis Matthew J , Nielsen Rachel C
Published: November 2017

In 2013, photojournalist David Guttenfelder became one of the first people granted access to post images of life within North Korea to Instagram in real-time. This quantitative content analysis examines themes portrayed in Guttenfelder’s Instagram photos and whether news sources that featured Guttenfelder’s work proportionately represented the captured themes or perpetuated stereotypical views of North Korean totalitarianism. Results indicate significant differences in some sources’ depictions of totalitarianism. The study discussed potential media and societal implications.
PSCA rs1045531 Polymorphism and the Risk of Prostate Cancer in a Chinese Population Undergoing Prostate Biopsy
Authors: Zhang Xuefeng , Hu Qin , Chen Ye , Li Miao , Yin Huming , Zhou Chenchao , Li Gang , Hou Jianquan
Published: November 2017

Background and Purpose:

This study explored the association between a single-nucleotide polymorphism of prostate stem cell antigen and prostate cancer in Chinese patients undergoing prostate biopsy.

Materials and Methods:

DNA from 416 patients undergoing prostate biopsy was typed for the prostate stem cell antigen rs1045531 single-nucleotide polymorphism. The frequency of the rs1045531 polymorphism in patients with prostate cancer and in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia was compared. Associations between the polymorphism and the risk of prostate cancer, prostate special antigen, Gleason score, and clinical stage were analyzed.

Results:

Statistically significant differences in the distribution of the rs1045531 genotypes and alleles were found between prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients undergoing prostate biopsy ( P = .035 and .046, respectively). We found that the rs1045531 AC genotype was significantly associated with a high risk of prostate cancer in the heterozygote model (AC vs CC; odds ratio = 2.383, 95% confidence interval: 1.198-4.741, χ2 = 6.229, P = .013) and the dominant model (AA/AC vs CC; odds ratio = 2.169, 95% confidence interval: 1.112-4.229, χ2 = 5.228, P = .022). However, susceptibility of prostate cancer was decreased in the homozygote model (AA vs CC; odds ratio = 0.828, 95% confidence interval: 0.143-4.805, P = .601). When considering clinical factors, the rs1045531 showed an association with prostate special antigen of 10 ng/mL or greater, a Gleason score of 7 or greater, and a size of T2 or greater.

Conclusion:

Men with the rs1045531 AC genotype of prostate stem cell antigen were at higher risk of prostate cancer in Chinese patients undergoing prostate biopsy.
The Law of Rules: Hyperlegalism, Emergency and the Violence of Procedure
Authors: Martel James
Published: November 2017

This article draws on the work of Nasser Hussain and Keally McBride to think about the way that law is violent. Hussain’s work shows that the law’s much vaunted distinction between ordinary law and the state of emergency is a false dichotomy, one that stems from Britain’s colonial legacy wherein only Britain was said to follow “the rule of law” and other parts of the world (including areas that it therefore got to colonize) were subject to a perpetual state of emergency. Hussain shows how this binary serves to make British rule seem benign and palatable even as it disguises the way that the British state was violent, not only in the colonies but also in the metropole. By looking further at the practices of “ordinary” law, I argue via Hussain and McBride that procedure and codification, nominally the benign and nonviolent practice of creating order and method in the practice of non-emergency law, are themselves thoroughly violent. Hussain shows this through his notion of hyperlegalism whereby places (such as Guantánamo) are said to be lawless but are actually suffused with various forms of ordinary law. McBride shows this through her study of the life work of James Stephen and James Fitzjames Stephen, a father and son who administered much of the legal practices of the British Empire in the mid 19th century and who were both essentially the embodiment of the rule of law in the colonies. In both cases, more for the father than for the son, any attempt to render the rule of law nonviolent met with failure. Codification became the way to formalize and disguise the degree to which the law perpetuates (rather than holds back) the violence and racism of empire. In this way procedure and codification are not just the means for state violence but are themselves a form of violence, a kind of “law of rules,” conforming to what Walter Benjamin calls “law preserving violence.”
Comparative perspectives on professionalism and professional development: An exploratory case study of Greek primary school teachers’ perceptions
Authors: Ifanti Amalia A , Fotopoulou Vasiliki S , Gaziel Haim H
Published: November 2017

This paper, which is of comparative interest in professionalism and professional development, reports on Greek primary school teachers’ views on specific aspects of the aforementioned issues. A total of 234 participants provided survey data, using anonymously filled-in questionnaires during the school year 2011–2012. More specifically, by examining teachers’ responses to five parameters of each case, we found out that, regarding professionalism, most teachers tended to score highly the importance of collaboration with their colleagues, parents and students, as well as their pedagogical concern for the students and their achievement. Regarding professional development, the demand for lifelong education and training, and for studying specific educational topics, was underlined. The teachers of our sample highlighted the great contribution of professionalism and professional development in their school routine. Moreover, they were aware of the complexities of professionalism and professional development and they closely related them with their personal development and the quality of their work at school. This survey confirmed that teachers’ professionalism and professional development is a universal phenomenon.