bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Co-creating a tailored public health intervention to reduce older adults’ sedentary behaviour
Authors: Leask Calum F , Sandlund Marlene , Skelton Dawn A , Chastin Sebastien FM
Published: May 2017

Objective:

The increasing health care costs associated with an ageing population and chronic disease burden are largely attributable to modifiable lifestyle factors that are complex and vary between individuals and settings. Traditional approaches to promoting healthy lifestyles have so far had limited success. Recently, co-creating public health interventions with end-users has been advocated to provide more effective and sustainable solutions. The aim of this study was to document and evaluate the co-creation of a public health intervention to reduce sedentary behaviour in older adults.

Design:

Community-dwelling older adults ( N = 11, mean age = 74 years) and academic researchers attended 10 interactive co-creation workshops together.

Setting:

Workshops took place on university campus and the co-creators completed fieldwork tasks outside the workshops.

Method:

Workshops were informed by the Participatory and Appreciative Action and Reflection methodology. Data were collected using field notes, video recording and worksheet tasks. Analysis was conducted using a qualitative content analysis approach.

Results:

The co-creators developed a tailored intervention delivered through a mode congruent with older adults’ lives. Key elements of the intervention included (1) education on sedentary behaviour, (2) resources to interrupt sedentary behaviour, (3) self-monitoring, (4) action planning and (5) evaluating the benefits of interrupting sedentary behaviour.

Conclusion:

Co-creation is a feasible approach to develop public health interventions; however, it is limited by the lack of a systematic framework to guide the process. Future work should aim to develop principles and recommendations to ensure co-creation can be conducted in a more scientific and reproducible way. The effectiveness and scalability of the intervention should be assessed.
Reconstructing social welfare institutions and building a professional social work workforce in post-Soviet Georgia: An ecological systems framework
Authors: Sadzaglishvili Shorena
Published: May 2017

This article discusses the development of social welfare institutions in post-Soviet Georgia and the role of social work in this development, based on the ecological system perspective. Transactional processes are described to better understand challenges to social welfare reform and to professional social work. Two major fields, child welfare and criminal justice, are discussed in some detail, as they demonstrate constructive collaboration among various stakeholders. Areas for improvement in these and other fields are also considered, as are the challenges facing social work. A need for more active participation of the social work workforce as agents of change is highlighted.
Nkrumahism, Agenda 2063, and the Role of Intergovernmental Institutions in Fast-tracking Continental Unity
Authors: Fagbayibo Babatunde
Published: May 2017

The doctrinal relationship between Nkrumahism and the African Union Agenda 2063 informs the basis of this article. If continental supranationalism remains the end product of both processes, the question then is to what extent are intergovernmental institutions positioned to achieve this? In addressing this point, the article discusses the roles the two key intergovernmental institutions, the African Union Commission and the Pan-African Parliament, can both play in deepening the integration agenda, and more specifically, the implementation plan of Agenda 2063. The article argues that the existent configuration of both institutions prevents any meaningful advancement towards a deepened integrative agenda. It then proffers ways of counteracting this.
Wade Nobles: The Intellectual as Healer
Authors: Jamison DeReef F.
Published: May 2017

Healers and priests were archetypes of intellectuals in West Africa that were maintained in the cultural memory of Africans in the diaspora in spite of enslavement. The presence of these intellectuals/healers countered the perpetuation of Eurocentric thought because they were guardians of African culture and possessed the ability to transfer and transmit collective cultural and historical memory. Wade Nobles positions his intellectual work and activism in the tradition of healers that countered European cultural hegemony while affirming the humanity of African people. Nobles defines the Sakhu as the process of illuminating the human spirit and utilizes the various manifestations and functions of the Sakhu to demonstrate the intricate connections between spirituality, science, and culture. Through seeking, defining, unlocking, and applying the Sakhu, Nobles articulates a worldview grounded in African spirituality that attempts to heal the minds and spirits of African people.
A musical information retrieval system for Classical Turkish Music makams
Authors: Kızrak Merve Ayyüce , Bolat Bülent
Published: May 2017

Musical information retrieval (MIR) applications have become an interesting topic both for researchers and commercial applications. The majority of the current knowledge on MIR is based on Western music. However, traditional genres, such as Classical Turkish Music (CTM), have great structural differences compared with Western music. Then, the validity of the current knowledge on this subject must be checked on such genres. Through this work, a MIR application that simulates the human music processing system based on CTM is proposed. To achieve this goal, first mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) and delta-MFCCs, which are the most frequent features used in audio applications, were used as features. In the last few years deep belief networks (DBNs) have become promising classifiers for sound classification problems. To confirm this statement, the classification accuracies of four probability theory-based neural networks, namely radial basis function networks, generalized regression neural networks, probabilistic neural networks, and support vector machines, were compared to the DBN. Our results show that the DBN outperforms the others.
Impact of the Educational Boost Your Brain and Memory Program Among Senior Living Residents
Authors: Nicholson Roscoe , O’Brien Catherine
Published: May 2017

This random assignment waitlist control intervention study examined an implementation of the educational Boost Your Brain and Memory cognitive fitness intervention in 12 senior living organizations. Older adult participants ( n = 166) completed measures of brain health knowledge, use of memory techniques, physical and intellectual activity, and mindfulness, at baseline and after the intervention group’s completion of the course. Changes in knowledge scores and in self-reported physical and intellectual activity increased significantly more for intervention participants than for waitlist controls at the conclusion of the course. There were no significant changes between the groups in mindfulness or use of memory techniques. This suggests that in senior living settings Boost Your Brain and Memory is effective in educating participants about brain healthy behaviors and in motivating behavioral change in the areas of physical and intellectual activity.
Endoscopic tattoo: the importance and need for standardised guidelines and protocol
Authors: Yang Mei , Pepe Daniel , Schlachta Christopher M , Alkhamesi Nawar A
Published: May 2017

Preoperative endoscopic tattoo is becoming more important with the advent of minimally invasive surgery. Current practices are variable and are operator-dependent. There are no evidence-based guidelines to aid endoscopists in clinical practice. Furthermore, there are still a number of issues with endoscopic tattoo including poor intraoperative visualisation, complications from tattooing and inaccurate documentation leading to the need for intraoperative endoscopy, prolonged operative time and reoperation due to lack of oncologic resection. This review aims to collate and summarise evidence for the best practice of endoscopic tattoo for colorectal lesions in order to provide guidance for endoscopists.
Neonatal Morbidity Count Is Associated With a Reduced Likelihood of Achieving Recommendations for Protein, Lipid, and Energy in Very Low Birth Weight Infants: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Ng Dawn V. Y. , Unger Sharon , Asbury Michelle , Kiss Alex , Bishara Rosine , Bando Nicole , Tomlinson Chris , Gibbins Sharyn , O’Connor Deborah L. ,   on behalf of the GTA‐DoMINO Feeding Group
Published: May 2017

Background: Serious morbidity may elevate nutrient requirements and affect adherence to feeding guidelines for very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. An understanding of factors affecting nutrient intakes of VLBW infants will facilitate development of strategies to improve nutrient provision. Our aim was to examine the impact of neonatal morbidity count on achieving recommended nutrient intakes in VLBW infants. Methods: VLBW infants enrolled in the Donor Milk for Improved Neurodevelopmental Outcomes trial (ISRCTN35317141, n = 363) were included. Serious morbidities and daily parenteral and enteral intakes were collected prospectively. Results: Median intakes of infants with and without ≥1 morbidity met protein recommendations (3.5–4.5 g/kg/d) by week 2, although not maintained after week 4. Infants with ≥1 morbidity (vs without) were 2 weeks slower in achieving lipid (4.8–6.6 g/kg/d; week 4 vs 2) and energy (110–130 kcal/kg/d; week 5 vs 3) and 1 week slower in achieving carbohydrate recommendations (11.6–13.2 g/kg/d; week 4 vs 3). Adjusted hazard ratios of first achieving recommendations on any given day in infants with any 1 or 2 morbidities were 0.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5–0.9) and 0.6 (0.4–0.9), respectively, for protein; 0.5 (0.4–0.7) and 0.3 (0.2–0.5) for lipid; and 0.5 (0.4–0.7) and 0.3 (0.2–0.4) for energy. Conclusion: Morbidity is associated with a decreased likelihood of achieving lipid and consequently energy recommendations. This and the decline in protein intakes after the early neonatal period require further investigation to ensure optimal nutrition in this vulnerable population.
Michel Houellebecq’s shifting representation of Islam
Authors: Ungureanu Camil
Published: May 2017

Michel Houellebecq has, I argue, changed significantly his portrayal of Islam: in earlier novels, he advances a hostile view of it premised on the secularist belief in the death of God and the inexorable decline of monotheism ( Platform, 1998; The Elementary Particles, 1998; The Possibility of an Island, 2003). Houellebecq sets capitalism against Islam, and advances a vision of a godless ‘religion positive’ (Auguste Comte) better suited for capitalist modernity. In contrast, in his last novel ( Submission, 2015) and interventions, Houellebecq makes a post-secular turn largely driven by the radicalization of positivist ideas relying on evolutionary biology. This turn is opposed to modernity and favourable to a reconsideration of Islam as the religion of submission and a remedy to personal crisis and Europe’s decline. I show that, evaluative differences notwithstanding, Houellebecq’s stereotyping of Islam has remained constant in his literary work.
The Consensus on Anthropogenic Global Warming Matters
Authors: Powell James Lawrence
Published: May 2017

Skuce et al., responding to Powell, title their article, “Does It Matter if the Consensus on Anthropogenic Global Warming Is 97% or 99.99%?” I argue that the extent of the consensus does matter, most of all because scholars have shown that the stronger the public believe the consensus to be, the more they support the action on global warming that human society so desperately needs. Moreover, anyone who knows that scientists once thought that the continents are fixed in place, or that the craters of the Moon are volcanic, or that the Earth cannot be more than 100 million years old, understands that a small minority has sometimes turned out to be right. But it is hard to think of a case in the modern era in which scientists have been virtually unanimous and wrong. Moreover, as I show, the consensus among publishing scientists is demonstrably not 97%. Instead, five surveys of the peer-reviewed literature from 1991 to 2015 combine to 54,195 articles with an average consensus of 99.94%.
Vasoreactivity in CADASIL: Comparison to structural MRI and neuropsychology
Authors: Moreton Fiona C , Cullen Breda , Delles Christian , Santosh Celestine , Gonzalez Rosario L , Dani Krishna , Muir Keith W
Published: May 2017

Impaired cerebrovascular reactivity precedes histological and clinical evidence of CADASIL in animal models. We aimed to more fully characterise peripheral and cerebral vascular function and reactivity in a cohort of adult CADASIL patients, and explore the associations of these with conventional clinical, imaging and neuropsychological measures. A total of 22 adults with CADASIL gave informed consent to participate in an exploratory study of vascular function in CADASIL. Clinical assessment, comprehensive vascular assessment, MRI and neuropsychological testing were conducted. We measured cerebral vasoreactivity with transcranial Doppler and arterial spin labelling MRI with hypercapnia challenge. Number and volume of lacunes, subcortical hyperintensity volume, microbleeds and normalised brain volume were assessed on MRI. Analysis was exploratory and examined the associations between different markers. Cerebrovascular reactivity measured by ASL correlated with peripheral vasoreactivity measured by flow mediated dilatation. Subjects with ≥5 lacunes were older, with higher carotid intima-media thickness and had impaired cerebral and peripheral vasoreactivity. Subjects with depressive symptoms, disability or delayed processing speed also showed a trend to impaired vasoreactivity. Impaired vasoreactivity and vascular dysfunction may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of CADASIL, and vascular assessments may be useful biomarkers of severity in both longitudinal and clinical trials.
Which Goals should Participants Set to Enhance the Transfer of Learning from Management Development Programmes?
Authors: Brown Travor C. , McCracken Martin
Published: May 2017

This paper is designed to critique the goal setting literature, with particular emphasis on the effectiveness of different types of goals for successful transfer in management development programmes. In reviewing the literature, particular focus was given to goal interventions used in education, training and skill acquisition settings over the last 20 years and how these studies have advanced the understanding of knowledge transfer from management development programmes. Overall, the evidence suggests that the traditional result (or distal outcome) based goals are ill-suited for effective transfer and instead management development scholars and practitioners should use the newer forms of goal setting (e.g. proximal plus distal, behavioural and learning) to facilitate transfer.
International Market Entry Decisions: The Role of Local Market Factors
Authors: Couturier Jerome , Sola Davide
Published: May 2017

This paper examines how external market factors influence the choice of international market entry (direct investment, partnership or acquisition). It is based upon interviews in four industries and upon a longitudinal two-year case study working with a major German Food company entering the British, Italian and Polish markets. The research confirms the importance of external market factors such as market growth, market consolidation and value chain fragmentation. It proposes a practical framework to guide the company's entry strategy.
Ethics and the Liability of Foreignness: The Case of China
Authors: Stening Bruce W. , Zhang Marina Y.
Published: May 2017

It is widely accepted that when firms enter a foreign market, they face considerable challenges and incur additional costs relative to indigenous firms. This liability of foreignness phenomenon is a consequence of many things, not least their lack of familiarity with local cultural norms and values, and economic, political and legal systems that are very different to their own. One especially difficult, but under-explored, issue arises when the host country has ethical and compliance standards that are lower than those in the firms' home country. The dilemma is essentially how to compete successfully with local firms while being ethical and legally compliant at home. This paper uses interviews with Chinese and foreign experts, as well as secondary data, to analyse the challenges facing foreign firms operating in China and to explore the tactical and strategic means by which they can be addressed.
Strategic use of Temporary Employment Contracts as Real Options
Authors: Brady Malcolm , Briody Anthony
Published: May 2017

Managers operate in an environment characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. This paper focuses on uncertainty and demonstrates how managers are mitigating supply-side uncertainty through the use of temporary employment contracts. These temporary employment contracts are being used as real options where uncertainty is reduced by reducing irreversibility and by increasing flexibility. The empirical work comprised in-depth interviews with employees and employers in the academic sector, a sector that has a tradition of employing people on temporary contracts. The key findings are: temporary employment contracts provide the organisation with a low-risk mechanism for reducing uncertainty in supply; temporary employment contracts increase flexibility and reduce irreversibility for the organisation and shift risk from the institution to the employee. However, there is a cost to the organisation in the form of demotivation, holding back and early exit of desirable employees. It can also lead to an organisational division between staff employed on temporary contracts and those on permanent contracts. The paper has relevance to managers and decision makers who operate in sectors or levels where human resource abilities are initially opaque but are revealed over time.
Computational fluid dynamics analysis of a modified Savonius rotor and optimization using response surface methodology
Authors: Moazam Sheikh Haris , Shabbir Zeeshan , Ahmed Hassan , Waseem Muhammad Hamza , Sheikh Muhammad Zubair
Published: May 2017

This article aims to present a two-dimensional parametric analysis of a modified Savonius wind turbine using computational fluid dynamics. The effects of three independent parameters of the rotor, namely, shape factor, overlap ratio, and tip speed ratio on turbine performance were studied and then optimized for maximum coefficient of performance using response surface methodology. The rotor performance was analyzed over specific domains of the parameters under study, and three-variable Box-Behnken design was used for design of experiment. The specific parametric combinations as per design of experiment were simulated using ANSYS Fluent®, and the response variable, coefficient of performance (Cp), was calculated. The sliding mesh model was utilized, and the flow was simulated using Shear Stress Transport (SST) k − ω model. The model was validated using past experimental results and found to predict parametric effects accurately. Minitab® and ReliaSoft DOE++® were used to develop regression equation and find the optimum combination of parameters for coefficient of performance over the specified parametric domains using response surface methodology.
Acceptability of Complementary Foods That Incorporate Moringa oleifera Leaf Powder Among Infants and Their Caregivers
Authors: Boateng Laurene , Nyarko Ruth , Asante Matilda , Steiner-Asiedu Matilda
Published: May 2017

Background:

Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) is a nutrient-rich and readily available food resource that has the potential to improve the micronutrient quality of complementary foods in developing countries.

Objective:

To investigate the acceptability of complementary foods fortified with MLP.

Methods:

Moringa oleifera leaf powder was fed to infants either as part of a cereal–legume complementary food blend (MCL-35 g) or by sprinkling as a food supplement (MS-5 g) on infant’s usual foods. Mother–infant pairs (n = 18 for the MCL-35 g group and n = 16 for the MS-5 g group) attending regular weight monitoring sessions were recruited to participate in the acceptability trial. The study consisted of an initial tasting session after which mothers were to feed the assigned foods to their infants for 14 days. Mothers rated color, odor, taste, and overall liking of the complementary foods using a 5-point hedonic scale. Primary outcome was the proportion of test porridge consumed. Results: On the tasting day, MCL-35 g group infants consumed an average of 64.27% ± 25.02 of the test porridge offered, whereas MS-5 g group infants consumed an average of 66.43% ± 29.09. During the 14-day period, median percent daily consumption for MCL-35 g was 71.5% of the daily recommended intake, whereas median percent daily consumption for MS-5 g was 86.2%.

Conclusion:

We conclude that complementary foods incorporating Moringa oleifera leaf powder either as part of a cereal–legume complementary food blend (MCL-35 g) or when sprinkled as a food supplement (MS-5 g) on infant’s usual foods were well accepted.
Bidimensional Measurement of Acculturation in a Sample of Pregnant Latinas and Their Biological Partners
Authors: Burrow-Sánchez Jason J. , Florsheim Paul
Published: May 2017

Acculturation has been linked to a number of health outcomes for Latinos including depression, anxiety, self-esteem, substance use, and teen pregnancy. The Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans–II (ARSMA-II) is one of the most frequently cited instruments for measuring acculturation in Latinos but empirical investigation of the latent factor structure has lagged behind its use. The main purpose of this study is to confirm the latent factor structure of a brief version of the ARSMA-II in a sample ( N = 205) of pregnant Latina adolescents and their male partners. Analyses revealed via confirmatory factor analysis that a 10-item bidimensional structure of this measure produced the best fit for the sample. Furthermore, a path analysis indicated direct effects between each of the latent factors and the health outcomes of substance use and depressive symptomatology. Implications of the results and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Age and Gender Effects in Recent Violence Perpetration
Authors: Fahlgren Martha K. , Kleiman Evan M. , Puhalla Alexander A. , McCloskey Michael S.
Published: May 2017

Although we know much about the effects of violence on victims, we know less about individuals who perpetrate violence. In the present study, we used a large, nationally representative sample of adults (National Comorbidity Study–Replication; n = 9,282) to examine demographics (i.e., age and gender) and social, occupational, and cognitive functioning among perpetrators of recent violence. We found that recent violence was more prevalent among younger individuals and males (i.e., these groups were more likely to engage in at least one act of violence). Among those who did engage in violence, there was no effect of age or gender on violence frequency (i.e., number of violent acts engaged in over the past year). Furthermore, gender moderated the effect of age on recent violence prevalence, but not violence frequency. Finally, those reporting violence over the past year showed greater impairment in all examined domains of functioning, but there was no association between impairment and frequency of violence. This study represents one of the first attempts to utilize 12-month prevalence data to explore the lifetime trajectory of violence among those who perpetrate it, which seems to peak in young adulthood and then decrease across the life span. Furthermore, although males are more likely to engage in violence than females, adults who engage in at least one act of violence demonstrate no difference in frequency of yearly violent acts, regardless of gender. Finally, it is apparent that merely engaging in any acts of violence over the past year is associated with functioning problems. Overall, most significant differences emerged between those who do and do not engage in violence, which is key for informing violence risk assessment and prevention.
How posting shapes a hybrid single European labour market
Authors: Mussche Ninke , Corluy Vincent , Marx Ive
Published: May 2017

Some scholars argue that intra-EU labour migration improves the allocation of human capital in Europe and that labour mobility is still too low to constitute a single European labour market. Others insist that free movement of labour and services makes employment more precarious and causes wage dumping. Less attention has been given to the origins, destinations and nature of flows of posted workers, partly because data on posting are scarce. We aim to fill this gap by exploring unique posting data for Belgium. We argue that while the free movement of labour and a single European labour market have been policy goals for decades, it is the free movement of services that is shaping a hybrid single European labour market, since high levels of short-term service mobility are more significant than long-term labour migration. This is as much a phenomenon of intra-EU15 mobility as of post-accession mobility, and is set to remain more prevalent than classic free movement of labour.
Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells inhibit T follicular helper cell in lupus-prone mice
Authors: Yang X , Yang J , Li X , Ma W , Zou H
Published: May 2017

Background

The objective of this paper is to analyze the role of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) on the differentiation of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells in lupus-prone mice.

Methods

Bone marrow cells were isolated from C57BL/6 (B6) mice and cultured in vitro, and surface markers were identified by flow cytometry. Naïve CD4+ T cells, splenocytes and Tfh cells were isolated from B6 mice spleens and co-cultured with BM-MSCs. The proliferation and the differentiation of CD4+ T cells and Tfh cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Lupus-prone MRL/Mp-lpr/lpr (MRL/lpr) mice were treated via intravenous injection with expanded BM-MSCs, the differentiation of Tfh cells was detected, and the relief of lupus nephritis was analyzed.

Results

MSCs could be successfully induced from bone marrow cells, and cultured BM-MSCs could inhibit T cell proliferation dose-dependently. BM-MSCs could prevent Tfh cell development from naïve CD4+ T cells and splenocytes. BM-MSCs could inhibit IL-21 gene expression and cytokine production and inhibit isolated Tfh cells and STAT3 phosphorylation. In vivo study proved that BM-MSCs intravenous injection could effectively inhibit Tfh cell expansion and IL-21 production, alleviate lupus nephritis, and prolong the survival rate of lupus-prone mice.

Conclusions

BM-MSCs could effectively inhibit the differentiation of Tfh cells both in vitro and in vivo. BM-MSC treatment could relieve lupus nephritis, which indicates that BM-MSCs might be a promising therapeutic method for the treatment of SLE.
Financialisation and inequality in Australia
Authors: Westcott Mark , Murray John
Published: May 2017

The process of financialisation has been cast as a major contributor to increasing inequality of wealth and income in a number of advanced industrialised economies, but the nature of the link requires precise clarification. In this article, we argue that financialisation in Australia has advanced inequality, but in a particular way. Charting several features of ‘financialisation of the macroeconomy’, we accept that this process has contributed to increased inequality in the sense that the wealthy have increased their wealth faster than households and individuals at the lower end of the wealth distribution. However, there is limited Australian evidence to suggest that income redistribution has occurred as a result of the ‘financialisation of the firm’. At the level of the firm, increased inequality of wealth can be attributed directly to financialisation if firm practices are oriented to increasing shareholder value at the expense of returns to other stakeholders such as workers or suppliers, and increased income inequality can be linked specifically to financialisation through increases in earnings to financial agents. We suggest several reasons for the relative absence of a firm-level dimension of financialisation but caution that such a trend remains possible, particularly if regulation of the labour market is weakened.
Developing Cultural Intelligence and Empathy Through Diversified Mentoring Relationships
Authors: Young Cheri A. , Haffejee Badiah , Corsun David L.
Published: May 2017

Given increasing globalization and the foreign-born workforce characterizing many organizations around the world, managers are increasingly called on to effectively manage a culturally diverse workforce. One way to increase the cultural intelligence and empathy of managers was proposed by Ragins, who indicated that mentors in diversified mentoring relationships (DMRs) may become more culturally intelligent and empathic as a result of exposure to the situations and challenges faced by their lower power protégés. To test this proposition regarding the efficacy of DMRs, a quasi-experimental design was employed using an experiential training intervention involving DMRs between primarily White, affluent student mentors and newly resettled refugees to the United States. Grounded in the theoretical foundations of contact theory and DMRs, our findings suggest that DMRs of even limited duration may be influential in increasing cultural intelligence and empathy.
The Challenge Course Experience Questionnaire: A Facilitator’s Assessment Tool
Authors: Schary David P. , Waldron Alexis L.
Published: May 2017

Challenge course programs influence a variety of psychological, social, and educational outcomes. Yet, many challenges exist when measuring challenge course outcomes like logistical constraints and a lack of specific assessment tools. This study piloted and tested an assessment tool designed for facilitators to measure participant outcomes in challenge course programs. Data collection occurred in three separate but related studies with participants in two different challenge course environments from two regions of the United States. Through confirmatory factor analysis, a two-factor structure in challenge course participation was supported. The Challenge Course Experience Questionnaire (CCEQ) consists of challenge course participants’ (a) individual experience and (b) feelings of group support. During the first study, the structure was created and initial evidence of reliability was indicated. The second study examined the structure and reliability with a similar population. The third study confirmed the structure and reliability using a different population and challenge course program. The CCEQ is a preliminary step toward helping challenge course professionals improve their programming through statistical evaluation of desired outcomes.
Evaluating the Wizards of Motion Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Module
Authors: Montelpare William J. , McPherson Moira N. , Boardman Kimberly , Zerpa Carlos E.
Published: May 2017

This study evaluated the level of change in students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward healthy lifestyle behaviors and prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) following implementation of a Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Module in Grade 5 science classes. Two classes of students ( n1 = 39) were identified as the intervention group and two classes ( n2 = 31) were designated as controls. The intervention group participated in the module initially, whereas the control groups participated after the data collection was completed. A two-group, pre–post comparison design was used to evaluate results on both a knowledge test and an attitude questionnaire. The results indicated that although both the intervention and the control groups began with similar knowledge and attitudes toward CVD and healthy behaviors, the intervention group demonstrated an improved level of knowledge and attitudes. Further research is needed to determine whether this CVD module could provide a sustained impact on adoption of healthy behaviors among adolescents.
“Contraceptive Care for Adolescents in School-Based Health Centers Is Essential!”
Authors: Moriarty Daley Alison , Polifroni E. Carol
Published: May 2017

Adolescents often face hurdles that may interfere with accessing contraceptive services. School-based health centers (SBHCs) are available to many teens in the United States; however, only half of SBHCs that serve adolescents are permitted to provide contraception. The aim of this descriptive phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of nurse practitioners (NPs) providing contraceptive care to teens in SBHCs. Twelve NPs were interviewed and Colaizzi’s method of descriptive phenomenological analysis was used to describe the lived experience of NPs providing contraceptive care to adolescents in SBHCs. Three themes emerged: Contraception is an Essential Part of Care for Teens Using SBHCs; Frustration! There are so Many Hurdles to Negotiate; and Walking a Fine Line. Despite the restrictions on SBHC services and the hurdles the NPs encountered, they remained committed to providing contraceptive services and seized available opportunities to provide health education and support for the adolescents accessing the SBHCs.
Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Homeless Young Adults: The Importance of Victimization Experiences in Childhood and Once Homeless
Authors: Kim Yeonwoo , Bender Kimberly , Ferguson Kristin M. , Begun Stephanie , DiNitto Diana M.
Published: May 2017

Homelessness itself is traumatic, and more than half of homeless young adults have also experienced abuse as children and/or victimization while homeless. These experiences increase the likelihood of developing trauma-related symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Few studies have, however, examined correlates of trauma and PTSD to identify targets for prevention and intervention. We used multinomial logistic regression to assess whether child abuse, victimization once homeless, features of homelessness (duration and transience), and personal resilience (self-efficacy and social connectedness) were associated with trauma and PTSD among 600 homeless young adults. Compared with those who had not experienced trauma, those who had were more likely to have been physically and/or sexually abused in childhood and physically victimized once homeless. Compared with those who had not experienced trauma, those who had experienced trauma and met criteria for PTSD were more likely to have been physically and/or sexually abused in childhood and physically and/or sexually victimized once homeless, and to have lower self-efficacy and social connectedness. Attention should be paid to these correlates of trauma and PTSD in developing and refining trauma-informed prevention and intervention approaches.
Opportunity and Overrides: The Effect of Institutional Public Support on Congressional Overrides of Supreme Court Decisions
Authors: Nelson Michael J. , Uribe-McGuire Alicia
Published: May 2017

Existing theories of legislative-judicial relations emphasize the role of public support for the judiciary on the likelihood of legislative compliance. Although Congress can strengthen or weaken the Supreme Court’s decisions after initial compliance, the role of public support for the judiciary on subsequent legislative action is unclear. We develop a theory of legislative-judicial interactions, which suggests that Congress considers the court’s current level of public support when determining whether to override a Supreme Court decision. We test our theory using data on congressional overrides of US Supreme Court decisions, finding that high levels of public support for the court shield the court from hostile congressional action. The results underscore the vital role played by the public in interbranch relations, suggesting that public support plays a role in the legacy of a judicial decision beyond ensuring initial compliance.
Measuring Joint Flexibility in Hallux Rigidus Using a Novel Flexibility Jig
Authors: Cody Elizabeth A. , Kraszewski Andrew P. , Marinescu Anca , Kunas Grace C. , Mani Sriniwasan B. , Rao Smita , Hillstrom Howard H. , Ellis Scott J.
Published: May 2017

Background:

The flexibility of the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint in patients with hallux rigidus (HR) has not been studied. Compared to measuring range of motion alone, measures of joint flexibility provide additional information that may prove useful in the assessment of HR. The purpose of this study was to assess the flexibility of the hallux MTP joint in patients with HR compared to controls using a novel flexibility device.

Methods:

Fifteen patients with Coughlin stage II or III HR and 20 healthy controls were recruited prospectively. Using a custom flexibility jig, each of 2 raters performed a series of seated and standing tests on each subject. Dorsiflexion angle and applied torque were plotted against each other to generate 5 different parameters of flexibility. Differences between (1) HR patients and controls and (2) the sitting and standing testing positions were assessed with t tests. Intrarater test-retest reliability, remove-replace reliability, and interrater reliability were assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Results:

Patients in the HR group were older than patients in the control group ( P < .001) and had lower maximum dorsiflexion ( P < .001). HR patients were less flexible as measured by 3 of the 5 flexibility parameters: early flexibility (first 25% of motion; P = .027), laxity angle ( P < .001), and torque angle ( P = .002). After controlling for age, only laxity angle differed significantly between HR patients and controls ( P < .001). Generally, patients were more flexible when seated compared to standing, with this effect being more marked in HR patients. All parameters had good or excellent intra- and interrater reliability (ICC ≥ 0.60).

Conclusions:

Hallux MTP joint flexibility was reliably assessed in HR patients using a flexibility device. Patients with HR had decreased flexibility of the hallux MTP joint compared to control patients.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective comparative study.
Science is 1% inspiration and 99% biomarkers
Authors: Dubuisson Nicolas , Puentes Fabiola , Giovannoni Gavin , Gnanapavan Sharmilee
Published: May 2017

Neurodegeneration plays a key role in multiple sclerosis (MS) contributing to long-term disability in patients. The prognosis is, however, unpredictable coloured by complex disease mechanisms which can only be clearly appreciated using biomarkers specific to pathobiology of the underlying process. Here, we describe six promising neurodegenerative biomarkers in MS (neurofilament proteins, neurofilament antibodies, tau, N-acetylaspartate, chitinase and chitinase-like proteins and osteopontin), critically evaluating the evidence using a modified Bradford Hill criteria.
Expanded places: Redefining media and violence in the networked age
Authors: Ratta Donatella Della
Published: May 2017

This article focuses on the relationship between violence and visibility as redefined by the combined action of warfare and networked communications technologies. Drawing on an ethnography of Syrian popular culture conducted at the theme park the Damascene Village, it proposes the concept of ‘expanded places’ to reflect on sites that have been physically violated, while at the same time they have been granted a new online life as a result of the manipulation and redistribution of their images on Web 2.0. The article investigates the dynamic of expansion by relating it to key practices that define internet participatory cultures, such as remixing; and to the theoretical framework of remediation, proposing to repurpose the latter in a networked media context. It discusses expansion in relation to the performance of violence, and reflects on the implications of involving the participatory dimension of Web 2.0 in replicating the latter.
Processing Forced-choice versus Check-all-that-apply Question Formats
Authors: Neuert Cornelia E.
Published: May 2017

Previous research has shown that check-all-that-apply (CATA) and forced-choice (FC) question formats do not produce comparable results. The cognitive processes underlying respondents’ answers to both types of formats still require clarification. This study contributes to filling this gap by using eye-tracking data. Both formats are compared by analyzing attention processes and the cognitive effort respondents spend while answering one factual and one opinion question, respectively. No difference in cognitive effort spent on the factual question was found, whereas for the opinion question, respondents invested more cognitive effort in the FC than in the CATA condition. The findings indicate that higher endorsement in FC questions cannot only be explained by question format. Other possible causes are discussed.
Vitamin D improves the content of TGF-β and IGF-1 in intervertebral disc of diabetic rats
Authors: An Ji-long , Zhang Wei , Zhang Jian , Lian Li-chao , Shen Yong , Ding Wen-yuan
Published: May 2017

Objective:

The contents of transforming growth factor-β and insulin-like growth factor-1 in disc of diabetic rats were measured at three different periods after injected with 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, and compared with that in normal rats. The significance of content changes was also discussed.

Methods:

Fourty-five Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into three groups, namely the experimental group (STZ+calcitriol), control group (STZ+citrate buffer), and normal group (citrate buffer). Complete lumbar discs in these groups were obtained at the second, fourth, sixth week, respectively. After paraffin-embedded sections and HE staining, the structure and morphology changes of disc were observed. The content of transforming growth factor-β and insulin-like growth factor-1 was measured by immunohistochemical method, and the expression of transforming growth factor-β and insulin-like growth factor-1 was detected by Western Blot.

Results:

In hematoxylin–eosin staining, degenerative changes were observed in disc of experimental and control group at three different periods, and there were no changes in disc in normal group. Immunohistochemical method indicated the content of transforming growth factor-β and insulin-like growth factor-1 in experimental and control group was significantly lower than normal group at three different periods ( P < 0.05). And there were significant differences between experimental and control group at three different periods ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Vitamin D can protect the degeneration of intervertebral disc and improve the content of transforming growth factor-β and insulin-like growth factor-1 in the intervertebral disc, which provides a new idea for the prevention and treatment of degenerative changes of the intervertebral disc in diabetic patients.

Impact statement

No researchers reported Vitamin D could protect degeneration of intervertebral disc. That is to say, we found a new method to prevent and treat degenerative changes of the intervertebral disc in diabetic patients. And Vitamin D prevented the discs by improving the content of TGF-β and IGF-1.
Top secret training data? External training loads of a cup winning English Super League rugby league team
Authors: Black Christopher J , Till Kevin , O’Hara John P , Davidson Jason , Jones Ben
Published: May 2017

This study quantified the field-based external training loads of professional rugby league players using global positioning systems technology across a playing season. Eleven professional rugby league players were monitored during all field-based training activities during the 2014 Super League season. Training sessions undertaken in preseason ( n = 211 observations), early ( n = 194 observations), middle ( n = 171 observations) and late ( n = 206 observations) phases of the in-season were averaged for each player and used in the analyses. Large reductions in external training loads between preseason and in-season periods were observed. Within season, a decrease in intensity (relative distance, absolute and relative total-HSR) with a limited change in training duration was observed. These data provide a useful reference for coaches working with similar cohorts, while future research should quantify the adequacy of the training loads reported, considering impact on performance and injury.
When Going to War Is Costly: A Comparative Study of Audiences and the Partisan Press
Authors: Stevens Daniel , Allen Barbara
Published: May 2017

Much of the conventional wisdom about partisan media effects is based on the single case of the United States. Without more comparative research, we know little about whether the findings are generalizable, however, and thus cannot be certain of their causes. But comparative research presents several challenges. This paper takes advantage of the case of the War on Iraq to examine the effects of partisan press coverage on perceptions of leaders and ultimately on voting behavior in two countries, the United States and Britain. We test three competing hypotheses of partisan media effects. We find support for the argument that the reputation of the incumbent party moderates the influence of partisan coverage on perceptions of war but also show that opposition partisan media coverage undermines perceptions of the qualities of incumbent leaders. Media outlets that support the incumbent do not have similar positive effects. We conclude that the war cost a left-wing leader, Blair, more than a right-wing leader, Bush, because of (1) the ambivalence of incumbent-supporting newspapers in Britain, (2) the absence of a parallel to the boost in approval that incumbent-supporting newspapers provided for Bush, and (3) greater damage to perceptions of Blair’s attributes among readers of opposition-supporting newspapers.
Prolonged Ketosis in a Patient With Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis Secondary to Dapagliflozin
Authors: Pujara Shreya , Ioachimescu Adriana
Published: May 2017

Since the approval of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors by the US Food and Drug Administration for type 2 diabetes, there have been several reports of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis in patients using this class of medication. We present a case of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis where ketonemia and glucosuria persisted well beyond the expected effect of dapagliflozin. Our patient is a 50-year-old woman with type 2 diabetes since age 35 who was taking metformin and dapagliflozin. She presented with fatigue, constipation, and 3 days of reduced oral intake. Laboratory data indicated anion gap acidosis, ketonemia, severe hypokalemia, and minimally elevated blood glucose. She was treated with sliding scale short-acting insulin and electrolyte replacement until hospital day 6, when endocrinology was consulted. An insulin drip was initiated due to persistent ketonemia and reopening of the anion gap, despite improved oral intake and normoglycemia. On stopping the insulin drip on day 9, the β-hydroxybutyrate increased again. It finally stabilized within normal range with the initiation of basal subcutaneous insulin. This case indicates that clinical effects of dapagliflozin persist much longer than the reported half-life of 12.9 hours would predict. To prevent this potentially dangerous complication, patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors who become ill should discontinue the medication, undergo ketone evaluation, and start basal insulin, if ketones are positive. In addition, patients should be educated to stop their SGLT2 inhibitor at least 1 week prior to elective procedures.