bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community, locality and social(ist) transformation
Authors: Nettleingham David
Published: July 2017

Community is elusive, desirable, rhetorical; something lost and something to be built; a relationship, a concept, a synonym, a place (real or imagined). This article explores the roles that the complexity of community’s conceptualisation has played in the development of political identities, goals and rationales for action. Drawing on the ways in which it has been conceptualised and utilised in sociological, historical and political understandings of social change, and a series of interviews with members of British socialist organisations, the article examines the relationship and equation between ‘community’, and ‘location’, ‘local’ and ‘place’ that develop as these terms become drawn into a wider project for social transformation. It is argued that ideas of location have not only framed how community is operationalised to imagine and enact this transformation, but that location itself is conceptualised in multiple, equally complex ways through this association. Social change becomes relatable, an articulable experience of large-scale processes, of social problems, of power and resistance. Community is reified, and change is made possible through a sense of locality.
Reproducing (and Disrupting) Heteronormativity: Gendered Sexual Socialization in Preschool Classrooms
Authors: Gansen Heidi M.
Published: July 2017

Using ethnographic data from 10 months of observations in nine preschool classrooms, I examine gendered sexual socialization children receive from teachers’ practices and reproduce through peer interactions. I find heteronormativity permeates preschool classrooms, where teachers construct (and occasionally disrupt) gendered sexuality in a number of different ways, and children reproduce (and sometimes resist) these identities and norms in their daily play. Teachers use what I call facilitative, restrictive, disruptive, and passive approaches to sexual socialization in preschool classrooms. Teachers’ approaches to gendered sexual socialization varied across preschools observed and affected teachers’ response to children’s behaviors, such as heterosexual romantic play (kissing and relationships), bodily displays, and consent. Additionally, my data suggest young children are learning in preschool that boys have gendered power over girls’ bodies. I find that before children have salient sexual identities of their own, children are beginning to make sense of heteronormativity and rules associated with sexuality through interactions with their teachers and peers in preschool.
The Eucharistic Cosmology of Teilhard de Chardin
Authors: Grumett David
Published: July 2017

A creative renewal of metaphysical conceptions of eucharistic consecration in the face of dominant models based on ecclesial community has the potential to make a valuable contribution to mission and spirituality by relating the Eucharist to the active lives of lay people within the Church and outside it. This is a possibility for many churches and not just those with a Catholic liturgical tradition. The Jesuit theologian and palaeontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin develops a suggestive eucharistic theology as part of a cosmological vision in which the whole of creation is ultimately dependent on the transforming power of the Eucharist. The antecedents of this theology are to be found in the philosophy of Gottfried Leibniz and Maurice Blondel, and it has clear affinities with Gregory of Nyssa's eucharistic imagery. Fundamental to it are the notions of sacred space, incarnation and transfiguration.
Pagan Benevolence and Christian Grace
Authors: Goode Leslie
Published: July 2017

Our understanding of Christianity acquires a sociological dimension when we see it as a challenge to elsewhere prevailing practices of religiously motivated giving, here termed benevolence. The ‘benevolence’ of pagan societies (ancient and modern), paradigmatically expressed in the symbolic gift of sacrificial ritual and art, is an essentially non-reciprocal form of giving, constitutive of hierarchical social structure. Practices of benevolence articulate socio-religious realities that are incompatible with a proper understanding of the distinctively Christian notion of grace.
An Evolutionary Account of Goodness
Authors: Hood Adam
Published: July 2017

This paper argues that an evolutionary account of altruism, as outlined by Dawkins, Pinker and Dennett, may be compatible with a Christian view of ethical discourse. Dawkins' approach suggests that certain universal altruistic dispositions underlie ethical discourse and that these can be accounted for in evolutionary terms. Accepting the plausibility of this account, the essay suggests that religious ethics aims at the development of a metaphysical context for common ethical intuitions as well as developing and honing these. Moreover, the evolutionary standpoint may suggest some interesting ways of reinterpreting key theological concepts such as ‘original sin’.
A great leap of faith: Limits to China’s university cities
Authors: Sum Chun-Yi
Published: July 2017

This paper examines the emergence of China’s ‘university cities’ ( daxuecheng) as a governmental strategy to modernise higher education and to promote its socio-economic integration. To the disappointment of policy makers, the model of university cities has largely failed to yield satisfactory educational outcomes and economic productivity. Drawing from ethnographic research at the Higher Education Mega Center (HEMC) in the suburb of Guangzhou City, this paper analyses the characteristics and problems of China’s university cities. It discusses how various disjunctures between planners’ visions and students’ everyday experiences undermine the missions of university cities: Universities intended to reinforce the reputation and growth potential of cities overestimated the need for such facilities; students rejected the vision of isolated education enclaves as a style of living; and productive connections with research and development sectors were not realised.
Turking Statistics: Student-generated Surveys Increase Student Engagement and Performance
Authors: Whitley Cameron T. , Dietz Thomas
Published: July 2017

Thirty years ago, Hubert M. Blalock Jr. published an article in Teaching Sociology about the importance of teaching statistics. We honor Blalock’s legacy by assessing how using Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) in statistics classes can enhance student learning and increase statistical literacy among social science gradaute students. In addition, we assess whether using MTurk has an impact on student ability to make professional progress. We find that, compared to traditional teaching methods, using MTurk increased student performance, perceptions, and outcomes. In addition, using MTurk resulted in a measurable increase in statistical literacy. We recommend that instructors teaching statistics consider how MTurk or similar technologies can be used in their classrooms.
Confirmation Bias, Ingroup Bias, and Negativity Bias in Selective Exposure to Political Information
Authors: Knobloch-Westerwick Silvia , Mothes Cornelia , Polavin Nick
Published: July 2017

Selective reading of political online information was examined based on cognitive dissonance, social identity, and news values frameworks. Online reports were displayed to 156 Americans while selective exposure was tracked. The news articles that participants chose from were either conservative or liberal and also either positive or negative regarding American political policies. In addition, information processing styles (cognitive reflection and need-for-cognition) were measured. Results revealed confirmation and negativity biases, per cognitive dissonance and news values, but did not corroborate the hypothesis derived from social identity theory. Greater cognitive reflection, greater need-for-cognition, and worse affective state fostered the confirmation bias; stronger social comparison tendency reduced the negativity bias.
Changing disease patterns in South Asians in the UK
Authors: Zaman M Justin S , Mangtani Punam
Published: July 2017

Cancer is perceived to be a low priority public health issue in South Asians. Yet changing lifestyles and environments towards those of the majority population are shifting epidemiological patterns. Similar patterns will occur in other disease areas. Lack of community awareness of these changes will result in increased exposure to risk factors, poor uptake in screening and delayed clinical presentation.
Graphene oxide-polymethylmethacrylate polymer waveguide device based on near infrared fingerprint spectrum for refractive index sensing
Authors: Wang Botao , Wang Qi , Kong Lingxin , Lv Riqing
Published: July 2017

A graphene oxide-polymethylmethacrylate (GO-PMMA) microfiber sensor is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in this paper, which is based on the absorption principle of near infrared spectra for external refractive index sensing. The sensor was fabricated by splicing a section of 1 mm GO-PMMA between two tapered single mode fibers. The hydrophilic groups of graphene oxide can be used to measure the proportion of water in glycerol solution, and achieve the goal of refractive index measurement indirectly. Experiments were conducted for moisture content of 4.3%~45% (refractive index range from 1.3400 to 1.4054) in glycerin solution. Different concentrations of glycerol solution have different intensities of absorption peaks near 1530 nm wavelength. The absorption peak power near 1530 nm wavelength responses to the external refractive index was experimentally studied. The results show that the sensor possesses a high sensitivity of 167.39 dB/RIU in the refractive index range of 1.34~1.41 and has a good linearity response to external refractive index. The proposed sensor is attractive owing to its high measurement speed, accurate, no pollution and lower cost, and is suited for long-term online real-time measurement.
Adaptive projective synchronization for time-delayed fractional-order neural networks with uncertain parameters and its application in secure communications
Authors: Song Xiaona , Song Shuai , Li Bo , Tejado Balsera Ines
Published: July 2017

In this paper, the adaptive projective synchronization of time-delayed fractional-order neural networks is considered. Using the active control and adaptive control methods, efficient hybrid control strategies are designed for time-delayed fractional-order neural networks with uncertain parameters. Based on a new version of fractional-order Lyapunov stability theory, the projective synchronization conditions are addressed in terms of linear matrix inequalities, which is easily checked and applied to practical systems. Finally, numerical simulations and application of the proposed methods to secure communications have been presented to validate the synchronization method.
The Common Sense Cut and the Gendered Body Project
Authors: Fitzpatrick Michaella , Delia Deckard Natalie
Published: July 2017

The U.S. discourse regarding the practice of genital cutting differs depending on the perceived sex of the body. The authors understand this difference as crucial to the construction of gender normative body projects in the contemporary United States. Using a content analysis of 172 randomly sampled newspaper articles in the United States, we present differences in not only the value position of media but in the framing of genital alteration across sexes or genders and national contexts. We find that U.S. media overwhelmingly exhibits a positive viewpoint regarding the circumcision of male bodies and considers the question to be a fundamentally medical one. Our analysis suggests that while personal narrative is employed to center the personhood of females who have been circumcised, the device is also used to normalize parental choice when discussing male circumcision. Our analysis shows that U.S. media engages almost exclusively white male voices as experts in the discussion of normative male body presentation, while a relative diversity of opinions is deemed legitimate for female bodies and genitals. Given these findings, we argue that media-driven discourse is key to perpetuating the currently normative body projects that undergird conceptions of bodies as fundamentally different dependent on gender role.
Using Tablet Applications for Children With Autism to Increase Their Cognitive and Social Skills
Authors: Esposito Marco , Sloan Janette , Tancredi Andrea , Gerardi Giovanna , Postiglione Paola , Fotia Francesca , Napoli Eleonora , Mazzone Luigi , Valeri Giovanni , Vicari Stefano
Published: July 2017

Several researchers along with technicians have been developing software and hardware to support and/or replace the standard method of teaching for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and/or other developmental disabilities. Moreover, computer-based intervention and electronic tablets have shown benefits for people with special needs increasing their independence, academic and cognitive skills, social communication, and leisure time. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of three tablet applications created to enhance specific abilities of children with ASD (attention, vocabulary, and imitation), who followed applied behavior analysis treatment (ABA) compared with the internal control group (CG). Training lasted 4 weeks for 15 children selected in a randomized way, while the CG followed only the behavioral therapy. To sum up, we want to respond to three questions: (1) whether the experimental group (EG) using the applications obtains greater progress within standard therapy in comparison to the CG, (2) whether the real skills of children examined at baseline have an impact on the application scores, and (3) whether the graphic features of the applications influence the motivation of children during training. At postintervention assessment, the EG showed higher progress within standard therapy than the internal CG even though these differences didn’t overreach the significance level. However, the probability of making progress in mastered targets at postintervention assessment was higher for the EG than the CG. To conclude, the current study demonstrates the capability of tablet applications to reproduce effective educational training for children with autism.
Computer-Based Case Simulations for Assessment in Health Care: A Literature Review of Validity Evidence
Authors: Ward Robyn C. , Muckle Timothy J. , Kremer Michael J. , Krogh Mary Anne
Published: July 2017

Simulation for education and training in health-care professions has been widely applied. However, its value as an assessment tool for competence is not fully known. Logistical barriers of simulation-based assessments have led some health-care organizations to utilize computer-based case simulations (CCSs) for assessment. This article provides a review of the literature on the identification of psychometrically sound, CCS instruments designed to measure decision-making competence in health-care professionals. CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Ovid databases identified 84 potentially relevant articles published between January 2000 and May 2017. A total of 12 articles met criteria for inclusion in this review. Findings of these 12 articles indicate that summative assessment in health care using CCSs in the form of clinical scenarios is utilized to assess higher order performance aspects of competence in the form of decision-making. Psychometric strength was validated in eight articles and supported by four replication studies. Two of the eight articles reported evidence of construct validity and support the need for evidence based on a theoretical framework. This literature review offers implications for further research on the use of CCS tools as a method for assessment of competence in health-care professionals and the need for psychometric evidence to support it.
The right to die: a Belgian case study combining reception studies and discourse theory
Authors: Van Brussel Leen
Published: July 2017

While a tradition of cross-fertilization between media studies and discourse theory has sprung up over the last decades, audience reception studies have remained outside the scope of discourse-theoretical media scholars. This article fills that gap and asserts that combining the discourse theory of Laclau and Mouffe (further developed by the Essex School) with reception studies provides a valuable and original approach that enhances scholars’ understanding of the complex and versatile ways in which individuals engage with the ideological systems of meaning put to work in media texts. The discourse-theoretical approach insists on regarding audience reception as the meaning-making practice where discourses are used, negotiated, and contested in shaping personal narratives around media texts, all against the backdrop of a contingent social reality. A case study focusing on audience receptions of Belgian media representations of euthanasia illustrates the applicability and value of the discourse-theoretical approach. The analysis shows how audiences, while being highly familiarized with the right to die project, shift between different logics of identifying with the discourses of patient autonomy, independence, and hedonism activated in the media texts, depending on the capability of these discourses in providing the material for people to make sense of lived experiences.
Be an NIH Reviewer: Contribute to Multidisciplinary Research
Authors: Jenkins Melinda L.
Published: July 2017

One of the best ways to contribute to multidisciplinary research and to improve your own knowledge of the review process at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is to serve as a peer reviewer for research, traineeship, and small business innovation research proposals. Proactive targeted outreach to Scientific Review Officers (SROs) at NIH will increase your chances to become a reviewer. Reviewers with nursing expertise are especially welcome as multidisciplinary research is becoming more prevalent. Steps to identify a likely study section, contact the correct SRO, and review responsibly are described in this article, written by an experienced NIH review officer.
Low Frequency Noise Level Variations and Annoyance in Working Environments
Authors: Holmberg Kjell , Landström Ulf , Kjellberg Anders
Published: July 2017

Indicators of noise level variations were correlated to noise annoyance in workplaces. This was made in a selected group exposed to low frequency noise.

The low frequency noise group, consisting of 35 individuals, was selected from a group of 337 persons from various working environments. The noise was recorded at each person's workplace. The subjective annoyance response was rated in a questionnaire. Further questions regarding situational and individual factors were also included.

The indicators were statistical countings of successive differences between discrete Leq values over short time periods. Interaction between noise level variations and other factors was also included in the study.

The correlation was studied by multiple regression analysis with the rated annoyance as dependent variable. Personal control over the noise was entered into the analysis as a first independent variable. Change in R2 when entering the level variations reflected the relative importance of them in comparison to noise level.

According to the results low frequency noise level variation explains about 11 percent of the annoyance variance in this material. In the study it was also found that personal control over the low frequency noise was strongly correlated to rated annoyance and that noise level was not.
Coagulation monitoring correlation with heparin dose in pediatric extracorporeal life support
Authors: Moynihan Katie , Johnson Kerry , Straney Lahn , Stocker Christian , Anderson Ben , Venugopal Prem , Roy John
Published: July 2017

Objectives:

Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) risks thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications. Optimal anti-coagulation monitoring is controversial. We compared coagulation tests evaluating the heparin effect in pediatric ECLS.

Methods:

A retrospective study of children (<18yrs) undergoing ECLS over 12 months in a tertiary pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Variables included anti-Factor Xa activity (anti-Xa), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), activated clotting time (ACT) and thromboelastogram (TEG®6s) parameters: ratio and delta reaction (R) times (the ratio and difference, respectively, between R times in kaolin assays with and without heparinase). Test results were correlated with unfractionated heparin infusion rate (IU/kg/hr) at the time of sampling. Mean test results of each ECLS run were evaluated according to the presence/absence of complications.

Results:

Thirty-two ECLS runs (31 patients) generated 695 data-points for correlation. PICU mortality was 22% and the thrombotic complication rate was 66%. The proportion of variation in coagulation test results explained by heparin dose was 13.3% for anti-Xa, 11.9% for ratio R time, and 9.9% for delta R time, compared with <1% for ACT and aPTT. Incorporating individual variation, age and antithrombin activity in a model with heparin dose explained less than 50% of the variation in test results. Correlation varied according to age, day of ECLS run and between individuals, with parallel dose-response lines noted between patients. Significantly lower mean anti-Xa was observed in PICU non-survivors and runs with thrombosis.

Conclusion:

Lower anti-Xa was observed in ECLS runs with complications. Although absolute results from anti-Xa and TEG6®s showed the best correlation with heparin dose, a large proportion of variation in results was unexplained by heparin, while dose response was similar between individuals. Population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modelling is required, as well as prospective trials to delineate the superior means of adjusting heparin therapy to prevent adverse clinical outcomes.
A multicentre study of how goal-setting is practised during inpatient stroke rehabilitation
Authors: Plant Sarah , Tyson Sarah F
Published: July 2017

Objective:

To describe goal-setting during inpatient stroke rehabilitation.

Design:

There were two stages: an electronic questionnaire for multidisciplinary teams and an analysis of goal-setting documentation for rehabilitation patients.

Setting:

Five inpatient stroke units.

Participants:

Staff involved in goal-setting and patients undergoing stroke rehabilitation.

Results:

A total of 13 therapists and 49 patients were recruited, and 351 documented goals were examined. All units used therapist-led goal-setting (60% of goals were set by therapists). In total, 72% of goals were patient-focused but patients and families were rarely directly involved. Goals focussed on basic mobility and activities of daily living (~50% and ~25% of goals, respectively). Only 41% of documented goals met the SMART criteria. Review of progress was limited: 48% of goals were never reviewed and 24% of the remainder were merely marked as ‘ongoing’ without a date or plan for completion. New goals and actions were often documented without any connection to previous goals. Integration between goals and treatment/action plans was mixed. In two units, goals were unconnected to a treatment or action plan, but for the remainder it was 90%–100%. However, that connection was generally vague and amounted to suggestions of the type of treatment modality that staff might employ.

Conclusion:

Goal-setting during inpatient stroke rehabilitation is therapist-led but discussed with the multidisciplinary team. Therapists mainly identified patient-focussed mobility and activities of daily living goals. Monitoring progress and revising goals were often uncompleted. Links between goals and treatment, action plans and progress were patchy.
Does cognition-specific computer training have better clinical outcomes than non-specific computer training? A single-blind, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Park Ji-Hyuk , Park Jin-Hyuck
Published: July 2017

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between non-specific computer training (NCT) and cognition-specific computer training (CCT).

Design:

Randomized controlled experimental study.

Setting:

Local community welfare center.

Subjects:

A total of 78 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were randomly assigned to the NCT ( n = 39) or CCT group ( n = 39).

Intervention:

The NCT group underwent NCT using Nintendo Wii for improving functional performance, while the CCT group underwent CCT using CoTras for improving function of the cognitive domain specifically. Subjects in both groups received 30-minute intervention three times a week for 10 weeks.

Main measures:

To identify effects on cognitive function, the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) digit span subtests, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), Trail Making Test–Part B (TMT-B), Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, and Modified Taylor Complex Figure (MTCF) were used. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using the Short-Form 36-item questionnaire.

Results:

After 10 weeks, the WAIS subtests (digit span forward: 0.48 ± 0.08 vs. 0.12 ± 0.04; digit span backward: 0.46 ± 0.09 vs. 0.11 ± 0.04) and HRQoL (vitality: 9.05 ± 1.17 vs. 2.69 ± 1.67; role-emotional: 8.31 ± 1.20 vs. 4.15 ± 0.71; mental health: 11.62 ± 1.63 vs. 6.95 ± 1.75; bodily pain: 4.21 ± 2.17 vs. 0.10 ± 0.38) were significantly higher in the NCT group ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

NCT was superior to CCT for improving cognitive function and HRQoL of elderly adults with MCI.
The 5-HT1B serotonin receptor regulates methylphenidate-induced gene expression in the striatum: Differential effects on immediate-early genes
Authors: Alter David , Beverley Joel A , Patel Ronak , Bolaños-Guzmán Carlos A , Steiner Heinz
Published: July 2017

Drug combinations that include a psychostimulant such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor such as fluoxetine are indicated in several medical conditions. Co-exposure to these drugs also occurs with “cognitive enhancer” use by individuals treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Methylphenidate, a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, by itself produces some addiction-related gene regulation in the striatum. We have demonstrated that co-administration of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors potentiates these methylphenidate-induced molecular effects, thus producing a more “cocaine-like” profile. There is evidence that the 5-HT1B serotonin receptor subtype mediates some of the cocaine-induced gene regulation. We thus investigated whether the 5-HT1B receptor also modifies methylphenidate-induced gene regulation, by assessing effects of a selective 5-HT1B receptor agonist (CP94253) on immediate-early gene markers ( Zif268, c- Fos, Homer1a) in adolescent male rats. Gene expression was measured by in situ hybridization histochemistry. Our results show that CP94253 (3, 10 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent potentiation of methylphenidate (5 mg/kg)-induced expression of Zif268 and c- Fos. This potentiation was widespread in the striatum and was maximal in lateral (sensorimotor) sectors, thus mimicking the effects seen after cocaine alone, or co-administration of fluoxetine. However, in contrast to fluoxetine, this 5-HT1B agonist did not influence methylphenidate-induced expression of Homer1a. CP94253 also potentiated methylphenidate-induced locomotor activity. These findings indicate that stimulation of the 5-HT1B receptor can enhance methylphenidate (dopamine)-induced gene regulation. This receptor may thus participate in the potentiation induced by fluoxetine (serotonin) and may serve as a pharmacological target to attenuate methylphenidate + selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced “cocaine-like” effects.
Occludin regulates glucose uptake and ATP production in pericytes by influencing AMP-activated protein kinase activity
Authors: Castro Victor , Skowronska Marta , Lombardi Jorge , He Jane , Seth Neil , Velichkovska Martina , Toborek Michal
Published: July 2017

Energetic regulation at the blood-brain barrier is critical for maintaining its integrity, transport capabilities, and brain demands for glucose. However, the underlying mechanisms that regulate these processes are still poorly explored. We recently characterized the protein occludin as a NADH oxidase and demonstrated its influence on the expression and activation of the histone deacetylase SIRT-1. Because SIRT-1 works in concert with AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) (AMPK), we investigated the impact of occludin on this metabolic switch. Here we show that in blood-brain barrier pericytes, occludin promotes AMPK expression and activation, influencing the expression of glucose transporters GLUT-1 and GLUT-4, glucose uptake, and ATP content. Furthermore, occludin expression, AMP-dependent protein kinase activity, and glucose uptake were altered under inflammatory (TNFα) and infectious (HIV) conditions. We also show that pericytes share glucose and mitochondria with astrocytes, and that occludin levels modify the ability of pericytes to share those energetic resources. In addition, we demonstrate that murine mitochondria can be transferred from live brain microvessels to energetically impaired human astrocytes, promoting their survival. Our findings demonstrate that occludin plays an important role in blood-brain barrier pericyte metabolism by influencing AMPK protein kinase activity, glucose uptake, ATP production, and by regulating the ability of pericytes to interact metabolically with astrocytes.
Gadofosveset-enhanced thoracic MR venography: a comparative study evaluating steady state imaging versus conventional first-pass time-resolved dynamic imaging
Authors: See Teik C , Patterson Andrew J , Hilliard Nicholas J , Soh Ed , Winterbottom Andrew P , Patterson Ilse , Parker Richard A , Graves Martin J , Lomas David J
Published: July 2017

Background

Dedicated blood-pool contrast agents combined with optimal angiographic protocols could improve the diagnostic accuracy of thoracic magnetic resonance angiography (MRA).

Purpose

To assess the clinical utility of Gadofesveset-enhanced imaging and compare an optimized steady-state (SS) sequence against conventional first-pass dynamic multi-phase (DMP) imaging.

Material and Methods

Twenty-nine patients (17 men, 12 women; mean age = 42.7, age range = 18–72 years) referred for MR thoracic venography were recruited. Imaging was performed on a 1.5T MRI system. A blood-pool contrast agent (Gadofesveset) was administered intravenously. Thirty temporal phases were acquired using DMP. This was immediately followed by a high-resolution SS sequence. Three radiologists in consensus reviewed seven thoracic vascular segments after randomizing the acquisition order. Image quality, stenoses, thromboses, and artifacts were graded using a categorical scoring system. The image quality for both approaches was compared using Wilcoxon’s signed-rank test. McNemar’s test was used to compare the proportions of stenosis grades, thrombus and artifacts.

Results

SS had significantly better image quality than DMP (3.14 ± 0.73 and 2.92 ± 0.60, respectively; P < 0.001). SS identified fewer stenoses (>50%) than DMP; the differences in stenosis categorizations was statistically significant ( P = 0.013). There was no significant difference in the proportions of vessels with thromboses ( P = 0.617). DMP produced more artifacts than SS (101 versus 85); however, the difference was not statistically significant ( P = 0.073).

Conclusion

Gadofesveset-enhanced thoracic angiography is clinically feasible. SS imaging produces better image quality and fewer artifacts than conventional DMP imaging.
Motion Capture Depends Upon the Common Fate Factor Among Elements
Authors: Ichikawa Makoto , Masakura Yuko
Published: July 2017

When observers move the head backwards and forwards while fixating on the center of the concentric circles that consist of oblique lines, they see illusory rotation of those circles. If several dots are superimposed on the proximity to the inner concentric circles, observers see the illusory rotation not only for the circles but also for the superimposed dots. This illusory rotation of the dots is based on motion capture. In this study, in order to understand the basis of the motion capture, we examined how motion signal with different directions (rotation, expansion/contraction, and horizontal translation) in terms of motion on a display, as well as illusory motion signal from the oblique components, affects the motion capture. If the stimulus presented rotation with expansion/contraction, or rotation with horizontal translation for the entire stimulus, then observers tended to perceive motion capture for the superimposed dots. However, if the stimulus presented only rotation of the circles, then observers tended to perceive induced motion for the superimposed dots. These results suggest that the existences of the common fate factor for the entire stimulus determine the means of allocating and integrating the motion signal in each element in the stimulus to generate motion capture.
Visual Search: You Are Who You Are (+ A Learning Curve)
Authors: Ericson Justin M. , Kravitz Dwight J. , Mitroff Stephen R.
Published: July 2017

Not everyone is equally well suited for every endeavor—individuals differ in their strengths and weaknesses, which makes some people better at performing some tasks than others. As such, it might be possible to predict individuals’ peak competence (i.e., ultimate level of success) on a given task based on their early performance in that task. The current study leveraged “big data” from the mobile game, Airport Scanner (Kedlin Company), to assess the possibility of predicting individuals’ ultimate visual search competency using the minimum possible unit of data: response time on a single visual search trial. Those who started out poorly were likely to stay relatively poor and those who started out strong were likely to remain top performers. This effect was apparent at the level of a single trial (in fact, the first trial), making it possible to use raw response time to predict later levels of success.
Affective Evaluation of One’s Own and Others’ Body Odor: The Role of Disgust Proneness
Authors: Übel Sonja , Wabnegger Albert , Arendasy Martin , Zorjan Sasa , Schienle Anne
Published: July 2017

Disgust is part of a behavioral immune system that helps to detect pathogens. One important input to this system is the sense of smell. We conducted an experiment on body odor perception with 72 participants (35 men, 37 women; mean age = 24 years), who had been divided according to high versus low disgust proneness. All participants were exposed to six samples of axillary sweat from other individuals and to their own sweat. They were asked to identify their own body odor and to rate their affective experience. The participants were not able to identify their own sweat; however, differentiation of self versus others was based on experienced disgust; the sweat of others was perceived as more disgusting. Moreover, disgust-prone participants showed differential affective responses to the two sweat sources and evaluated others’ sweat as more negative and arousing. The current study points to the important role of state/trait disgust in the implicit processing of body odor.
Improvised song endings in a developmental perspective: A mixed-methods study
Authors: Ilari Beatriz , Fesjian Cara , Ficek Bronte , Habibi Assal
Published: July 2017

The aim of this mixed-methods study was to investigate the development of children’s improvised song endings over the course of two years, through researcher-led tasks. While quantitative data were used to examine the roles of age, biological sex, and music training on children’s improvised song endings and pitch-matching skills, qualitative data were gathered to shed light on the musical contents of improvisations, the strategies used by children when improvising, and children’s reactions to different improvisatory tasks. Although scores for both improvised song endings and pitch-matching skills increased with age ( p < .01), there were no significant group differences between musically-trained children and their untrained peers. Additionally, girls outperformed boys in both improvisation and pitch-matching tasks ( p < .01). Qualitative data offered six strategies that children used to improvise song endings, and suggested that engagement in improvisational tasks depends on a combination of children’s musical skills and interests, and familiarity with the tasks.
The Illegal, the Missing: an Evaluation of Conceptual Inventions
Authors: Oelgemöller Christina
Published: July 2017

Migration Management, a regime of radical differentiation and exclusion, renders many people illegal because they violate the laws of access across geopolitical borders. Migration Management further disappears some of these illegal people outside of the external boundaries of the Global North. Recently, however, discursive moves to mobilise the concept of the ‘missing person’ in the context of illegal migration have been introduced when discussing Mediterranean migration in particular. This article offers an ethico-political evaluation of such conceptual innovations. The article asks if a reconceptualisation of the illegal migrant as ‘missing person’ is able to destabilise Migration Management and concludes that this is unlikely. The article illustrates how this reconceptualisation cements the more radical practices of exclusion whilst the boundary-drawing is reformulated as one between dead and living migrants.
Schmitt’s Telluric Partisan in American Entertainment Media: Fantasies of Resistance and Territorial Defence
Authors: Schulzke Marcus
Published: July 2017

This article explores the political significance of the narratives of partisan warfare that appear in American popular culture. I draw on Carl Schmitt’s concept of the ‘telluric partisan’ – a figure that fights outside the normative boundaries of conventional war in defence of a homeland and the traditional identities that are rooted in it. These fantasies provide a sense of moral clarity, promote national unity, characterise enemy aggression, and glorify traditional values. They establish a ready-made narrative that can be invoked to frame conflicts in terms of the heroic defence of an innocent and victimised people protecting themselves against foreigners and their dangerous ideologies. As I show, this call for popular engagement in war generally serves a conservative project of directing potentially revolutionary expressions of populism and vigilante justice into defence of family and the territorial status quo.
‘Our lives is in danger’: Manus Island and the end of asylum
Authors: Grewcock Michael
Published: July 2017

The Australian-funded and operated immigration detention centre on Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, serves as a frontline for Australia’s border policing measures against unauthorised refugees. The willingness of the Australian state to forcibly transfer and detain refugees at sites such as Manus Island reflects its commitment to deterring unauthorised arrivals by punishing them for their methods of travel. Comparing the outcomes of the 2016 refugee global summits and recent public inquiries into the conditions on Manus Island, this article considers the disconnect between Australia’s criminogenic border policing practices and its supposed commitments to a humanitarian refugee resettlement policy. It argues that the dominant view of resettlement as an outcome to be bestowed on ‘worthy’ refugees removes refugee agency and enables ongoing and systemic human rights abuses at sites such as Manus Island. For refugees this can only be resolved by establishing a right to free movement.
Quantification of irreversibilities in practical cyclic processes using exergy analysis and Gouy-Stodola theorem
Authors: Pal Rajinder
Published: July 2017

The exergy analysis of a process to quantify the irreversibilities is advantageous over the entropy analysis in that it provides the definition of efficiency of a process, referred to as exergetic efficiency (defined as the ratio of exergy recovered to exergy supplied to the process). Unfortunately, the exergy analysis of practical multi-unit cyclic processes is rarely covered adequately in the undergraduate courses in engineering thermodynamics. In this article, the quantification of irreversibilities is illustrated in detail for a practical cyclic steam power plant using exergy analysis and Gouy-Stodola theorem. The efficiencies are determined for the various components and for the whole process. The theoretical background related to exergy, exergy analysis, and Gouy-Stodola theorem is also covered briefly for the benefit of the students. An assessment problem dealing with vapor-compression refrigeration cycle is included at the end in order to assess the intended learning outcomes of this article. The key solution steps along with answers are also provided for the benefit of the readers. As exergy analysis involves advanced level concepts in thermodynamics, the appropriate place for the introduction of the material presented in this article is the second, advanced level, course in thermodynamics.
The regional identity politics of India’s new land wars: Land, food, and popular mobilisation in Goa and West Bengal
Authors: Nielsen Kenneth Bo , Bedi Heather Plumridge
Published: July 2017

India has over the recent decade witnessed a spate of land transfers as Special Economic Zones, extractive industries, or real estate dispossess farmers, land owners, and indigenous groups of their land. As a result, struggles over land have emerged with force in many locations, almost across India. Yet while the political economy and legal aspects of India’s new ‘land wars’ are well documented, the discourses and identities mobilised against large-scale forcible land transfers receive less scholarly attention. We suggest ‘the regional identity politics’ of India’s current land wars to explain the important role of place-based identities in garnering broad, public support for popular anti-dispossession movements. We explore how land, and its produce, are mobilised by anti-dispossession movements in the Indian states of Goa and West Bengal. The movements mobilised land and food not as emblematic of structural changes in the political economy, but first and foremost within a symbolic field in which they came to stand metaphorically for regional forms of belonging and identity under threat. While reinforcing regional solidarity, these identities also contributed to the fragmented and often highly localised nature of India’s current land wars, while also potentially disrupting efforts to sustain organising in the long term.
Return to Sport After Shoulder Arthroplasty in Recreational Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Aim Florence , Werthel Jean-David , Deranlot Julien , Vigan Marie , Nourissat Geoffroy
Published: July 2017

Background:

One of the most frequent demands from patients after shoulder replacement surgery is to return to sport.

Purpose:

To determine the rate of return to sport after shoulder arthroplasty (total shoulder arthroplasty, reverse shoulder arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty) in recreational athletes.

Study Design:

Meta-analysis and systematic review.

Methods:

The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were followed to perform this systematic review and meta-analysis of the results in the literature as well as the presentation of results. A search of the literature was performed in the electronic databases MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. The quality of the included studies was evaluated according to the MINORS (Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies) score. Inclusion criteria were studies in English evaluating return to sport after shoulder replacement surgery and on patients practicing a sport regularly, whatever the level, with all ages and sports included. The main criterion was the rate of patients who returned to a sport activity.

Results:

Nine studies were selected among the 35 identified, including a total of 613 patients (39% male and 61% female) with a mean age of 71.7 years (range, 22.6-92.6 years). All the included patients practiced sports before surgery. The most common reported sports were golf (n = 140), swimming (n = 128), and tennis (n = 54). The mean rate of return to sport was 80.7% (range, 57.1%-97.3%). All patients who returned to sport were practicing in the 3 months before surgery. No radiological data were reported in the literature. The subgroup analysis for resuming golf after shoulder arthroplasty revealed a rate of return to sport of 79.2% (95% CI, 62.9%-89.5%). In the swimming subgroup, the rate was 75.6% (95% CI, 61.3%-85.8%) and in the tennis subgroup was 63.5% (95% CI, 34.1%-85.5%). The subgroup analysis for reverse shoulder arthroplasty reported a lower rate of return to sport than for all types of shoulder arthroplasty combined: 76.5% (95% CI, 60%-87%) versus 80.7% (95% CI, 70.9%-87.8%), respectively.

Conclusion:

Most patients returned to sport after surgery, and all who returned to sport were practicing their sport in the 3 months before surgery. No radiological data were reported in the literature.
Reference Values for the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory and the Multidimensional Fatigue Scale in Adolescent Athletes by Sport and Sex
Authors: Snyder Valier Alison R. , Welch Bacon Cailee E. , Bay R. Curtis , Molzen Eileen , Lam Kenneth C. , Valovich McLeod Tamara C.
Published: July 2017

Background:

Effective use of patient-rated outcome measures to facilitate optimal patient care requires an understanding of the reference values of these measures within the population of interest. Little is known about reference values for commonly used patient-rated outcome measures in adolescent athletes.

Purpose:

To determine reference values for the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and the Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (MFS) in adolescent athletes by sport and sex.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A convenience sample of interscholastic adolescent athletes from 9 sports was used. Participants completed the PedsQL and MFS during one testing session at the start of their sport season. Data were stratified by sport and sex. Dependent variables included the total PedsQL score and the 5 PedsQL subscale scores: physical functioning, psychosocial functioning, emotional functioning, social functioning, and school functioning. Dependent variables for the MFS included 3 subscale scores: general functioning, sleep functioning, and cognitive functioning. Summary statistics were reported for total and subscale scores by sport and sex.

Results:

Among 3574 males and 1329 female adolescent athletes, the PedsQL scores (100 possible points) generally indicated high levels of health regardless of sport played. Mean PedsQL total and subscales scores ranged from 82.6 to 95.7 for males and 83.9 to 95.2 for females. Mean MFS subscale scores (100 possible points) ranged from 74.2 to 90.9 for males and 72.8 to 87.4 for females.

Conclusion:

Healthy male and female adolescent athletes reported relatively high levels of health on the PedsQL subscales and total scores regardless of sport; no mean scores were lower than 82.6 points for males or 83.9 points for females. On the MFS, males and females tended to report low effect of general and cognitive fatigue regardless of sport; mean scores were higher than 83.5 points for males and 83.8 points for females. Clinically, athletes who score below the reference values for their sport have poorer health status than average adolescent athletes participating in that sport. Scores below reference values may warrant consideration of early intervention or treatment.
Comments on “Domestic Outsourcing, Rent Seeking, and Increasing Inequality” by Eileen Appelbaum
Authors: Schmitt John
Published: July 2017

These are comments on Eileen Appelbaum’s David Gordon Memorial Lecture.