bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influences of Circulation and Climate Change on European Summer Heat Extremes
Authors: Clark Robin T. , Brown Simon J.
Published: July 2013

Atmospheric circulation patterns occurring on the warmest 10% of summer days for a region of Europe severely impacted by the 2003 heatwave have been identified using a perturbed parameter ensemble of regional high-resolution climate model simulations for the recent past. Changes in the frequency and duration of these circulation types, driven by the simulations following a moderate transient pathway of anthropogenic emissions, are then shown for the period 2070 to 2100. Increases in the future probability of hot days are then attributed separately to changes in the frequency and temperature intensity of the circulation types. Changes in temperature intensity are found to have an effect 2 to 3 times larger than in frequency.

The authors then consider how model uncertainty in changes of future temperature within circulation patterns compares to the uncertainty irrespective of circulation, in an attempt to exclude contributions to the overall uncertainty arising from changes in circulation. Within individual patterns, the range of meteorological physical processes may be narrower. However, no reduction in uncertainty was found when single patterns were considered. Contributions to the lack of narrowing from circulation-type duration, model vegetation root depth and changes in cloud cover, pressure gradient, and continental-scale warming are subsequently examined using relationships between changes in surface latent heat and temperature. Vegetation root depth is found to be the greatest contributor to the temperature uncertainty.
An association between body mass index and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations is influenced by age in community-dwelling persons
Authors: Kawamoto Ryuichi , Kusunoki Tomo , Abe Masanori , Kohara Katsuhiko , Miki Tetsuro
Published: July 2013

Background

High sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is an acute phase reactant and a sensitive marker of inflammation. Age and adiposity can potentially promote the production of C-reactive protein (CRP). However, only a few studies have investigated any interaction between age and adiposity on hsCRP concentrations.

Methods

We recruited 822 men (mean age, 61 ± 14 years) and 1097 women (63 ± 12 years) during their annual health examination from a single community. We cross-sectionally examined whether age, body mass index (BMI), and the interaction are significantly associated with hsCRP concentrations, independent of confounding factors.

Results

Multiple linear regression analyses for hsCRP showed that in men, age ( β = 0.169, P < 0.001) and BMI ( β = 0.114, P = 0.004) as well as smoking status, triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), uric acid, and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) were significantly associated with hsCRP; and in women, age ( β = 0.203, P < 0.001) and BMI ( β = 0.225, P < 0.001) as well as HDL-C, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), uric acid, GGT and high-molecular weight adiponectin were significantly associated with hsCRP. In addition to their direct associations, the interaction between age and BMI was also a significant and independent determinant for hsCRP in both men ( F = 4.407, P = 0.036) and women ( F = 5.487, P = 0.019). In participants aged < 75 years, overweight (BMI ≥25.0 kg/m2) persons were more likely to have a prevalence of elevated hsCRP concentrations (≥1.00 mg/L) compared with the normal-weight (BMI <22.0 kg/m2), but such an association was not observed in those aged ≥75 years.

Conclusions

Adiposity promotes low-grade systemic inflammation in community-dwelling persons aged <75 years.
Using Job-Title-Based Physical Exposures From O*NET in an Epidemiological Study of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Authors: Evanoff Bradley , Zeringue Angelique , Franzblau Alfred , Dale Ann Marie
Published: July 2013

Objective:

We studied associations between job-title-based measures of force and repetition and incident carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

Background:

Job exposure matrices (JEMs) are not commonly used in studies of work-related upper-extremity disorders.

Method:

We enrolled newly hired workers in a prospective cohort study. We assigned a Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code to each job held and extracted physical work exposure variables from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). CTS case definition required both characteristic symptoms and abnormal median nerve conduction.

Results:

Of 1,107 workers, 751 (67.8%) completed follow-up evaluations. A total of 31 respondents (4.4%) developed CTS during an average of 3.3 years of follow-up. Repetitive motion, static strength, and dynamic strength from the most recent job held were all significant predictors of CTS when included individually as physical exposures in models adjusting for age, gender, and BMI. Similar results were found using time-weighted exposure across all jobs held during the study. Repetitive motion, static strength, and dynamic strength were correlated, precluding meaningful analysis of their independent effects.

Conclusion:

This study found strong relationships between workplace physical exposures assessed via a JEM and CTS, after adjusting for age, gender, and BMI. Though job-title-based exposures are likely to result in significant exposure misclassification, they can be useful for large population studies where more precise exposure data are not available.

Application:

JEMs can be used as a measure of workplace physical exposures for some studies of musculoskeletal disorders.
Cumulative Spine Loading and Clinically Meaningful Declines in Low-Back Function
Authors: Marras William S. , Ferguson Sue A. , Lavender Steven A. , Splittstoesser Riley E. , Yang Gang
Published: July 2013

Objective:

The objective was to assess the role of cumulative spine loading measures in the development of a clinically meaningful decline in low-back function.

Background:

Cumulative spine loading has been a suspected risk factor for low-back pain for many years, yet the measures that characterize risk have not been well delineated.

Methods:

A total of 56 cumulative exposure measures were collected in a prospective field study of distribution center workers. An individual’s risk for a clinically meaningful decline in low-back function (true cases) was explored with daily, weekly, and job tenure cumulative exposure measures using univariate and multivariate statistical modeling techniques. True noncases were individuals with no decline in low-back function.

Results:

An individual’s risk for a clinically meaningful decline in low-back function (true cases) was predicted well versus true noncases (sensitivity/specificity = 72%/73%) using initial low-back function (p(n)), cumulative rest time, cumulative load exposure, job satisfaction, and worker age.

Conclusions:

Cumulative rest time was identified as an important component for predicting an individual’s risk for a clinically meaningful decline in low-back function.

Application:

This information can be used to assess cumulative spine loading risk and may help establish guidelines to minimize the risk of a clinically meaningful decline in low-back function.
Box Shape Influences the Size-Weight Illusion During Individual and Team Lifting
Authors: Amazeen Eric L.
Published: July 2013

Objective:

The effects of box shape—specifically width and height—on the perception of heaviness were evaluated during individual and team lifting.

Background:

Large objects are perceived to be as much as 50% lighter than smaller objects with the same mass. This size-weight illusion presents an obvious risk when lifting large and heavy boxes. Recent research has shown that shape influences this illusion. Specifically, increases in length and width do not produce identical decreases in perceived heaviness. However, this effect has been documented only in individual lifting, mostly with small objects.

Method:

Individuals and teams lifted large boxes and reported their perceptions of heaviness. The mass, height, and width of the boxes were varied independently to determine their unique effects on perceived heaviness.

Results:

For both types of lift, increasing width produced a greater mean illusory drop (expressed as a percentage decrease with 95% confidence intervals) in perceived heaviness (24 ± 7% during individual lifting and 41 ± 8% during team lifting) than increasing height (15 ± 7% during individual lifting and 18 ± 8% during team lifting).

Conclusion:

Size and shape are important factors in perceiving the heaviness of boxes during both individual and team lifting.

Application:

To avoid misperceiving weight and risking injury, lifters should be careful when approaching larger (especially wider) boxes.
NGOs management and the value of ‘partnerships’ for equality in international development: What’s in a name?
Authors: Contu Alessia , Girei Emanuela
Published: July 2013

‘Partnership’ is a buzzword for agents delivering policy solutions, funding and implementation strategies for effective international development. We call such an ensemble of policies and practices the ‘partnership discourse’. We explore the value of the term ‘partnership’ in international development with an empirical focus on the African context and issues of equality in relations between international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are routinely characterized as partnerships. The results of our research in Uganda indicate that a hiatus exists between the rhetoric and reality of such partnerships. Partnerships on the ground reproduce relations of inequality characterized by subordination and oppression. The retroductive explanation we offer for such an emergent picture is to recast partnerships not as neutral management tools, but as political processes actualized in a terrain that is contested and uneven. Our theoretical contribution is to develop a political theorization of inter-organizational relations that allows us to explore the social consequences, specifically on inequality, associated with the partnership discourse. Our substantive contribution is to elaborate the value of the term ‘partnership’ in the international development domain. Its value is to smooth over antagonism and co-opt dissent by proposing a solution to effective development that is both ethically and managerially good.
Astrocytes are Involved in Trigeminal Dynamic Mechanical Allodynia
Authors: Dieb W. , Hafidi A.
Published: July 2013

Trigeminal neuropathic pain affects millions of people worldwide. Despite decades of study on the neuronal processing of pain, mechanisms underlying enhanced pain states after injury remain unclear. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-dependent changes play a critical role in triggering central sensitization in neuropathic pain. These receptors are regulated at the glycine site through a mandatory endogenous co-agonist D-serine, which is synthesized by astrocytes. Therefore, the present study was carried out to determine whether astrocytes are involved, through D-serine secretion, in dynamic mechanical allodynia (DMA) obtained after chronic constriction of the infraorbital nerve (CCI-IoN) in rats. Two weeks after CCI-IoN, an important reaction of astrocytes was present in the medullary dorsal horn (MDH), as revealed by an up-regulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in allodynic rats. In parallel, an increase in D-serine synthesis, which co-localized with its synthesis enzyme serine racemase, was strictly observed in astrocytes. Blocking astrocyte metabolism by intracisternal delivery of fluorocitrate alleviated DMA. Furthermore, the administration of D-amino-acid oxidase (DAAO), a D-serine-degrading enzyme, or that of L-serine O-sulfate (LSOS), a serine racemase inhibitor, significantly decreased pain behavior in allodynic rats. These results demonstrate that astrocytes are involved in the modulation of orofacial post-traumatic neuropathic pain via the release of the gliotransmitter D-serine.
Perspectives of legal regulation and employment relations at the workplace: Limits and challenges for employee voice
Authors: Gollan Paul J , Patmore Glenn
Published: July 2013

This article examines how employee voice is understood by both scholars of labour law and of industrial relations. While there is a sophisticated literature on employee participation and involvement in employment relations scholarship, there is an absence of consideration of legal perspectives. The article addresses this gap in the literature by first examining how employee voice is used to explain and critique workplace practices in the dominant and emerging employment relations scholarship, and then critically considering how dominant legal theories refer to and confine understandings of employee participation. The article examines each field through its discipline, method, approach, content and limits. It concludes that the scope of these disciplines is very different, and that they might be regarded as fraternal rather than identical twins. Finally, some questions are raised about the challenges for research in developing an interdisciplinary scholarship of employee voice.
Unionism and non-union employee representation: The interwar experience in Canada, Germany, the US and the UK
Authors: Patmore Greg
Published: July 2013

The decline in trade union membership in a number of countries has led to concerns over a ‘representation gap’, where workers are deprived of a voice not only in regard to their workplace grievances, but also in regard to their contributions to productivity and the quality of working life. While a number of alternatives have been raised, including joint consultation and works councils, there are concerns that these alternatives may further weaken union organization by establishing rival forms of organization. This article examines the interwar experience with three types of workplace non-union employee representation in Canada, Germany, the US and the UK. Where management recognizes unions and unions actively ensure that they dominate these representation mechanisms, they can enhance union organization.
Reassessing employee involvement and participation: Atrophy, reinvigoration and patchwork in Australian workplaces
Authors: Wilkinson Adrian , Townsend Keith , Burgess John
Published: July 2013

Within Australia and internationally, much of the research on employee involvement and participation developed historically with a focus on the role of unions in ensuring employees had the opportunity to play a role in decision-making at the workplace, organisation or industry level. Partly in response to changing union fortunes and their lesser centrality to employment relations in many countries, and partly as an acknowledgement to the hitherto inadequate conceptualisation of participation, researchers had developed more nuanced themes to the body of work on employee involvement and participation, for example, formalised non-union participation, informal participation and multiple channels. By adapting and extending a model of participation and drawing on data from five workplaces, we show that employee involvement and participation is multidimensional and that some elements atrophy while others are reinvigorated, and we find a limited overall strategy and more patchwork to employee involvement and participation architecture in these workplaces. Equally, despite the interest in the ideas of employee involvement and participation and the idea of multiple channels, it does tend to be confined to a limited range of topics, especially information-passing with a hint of consultation, rather than any notion of industrial democracy. The channels are wide rather than deep.
Directing democracy: Competing interests and contested terrain in the John Lewis Partnership
Authors: Cathcart Abby
Published: July 2013

The John Lewis Partnership is one of Europe’s largest models of employee ownership and has been operating a form of employee involvement and participation since its formation in 1929. It is frequently held up as a model of best practice (Cathcart, 2013) and has been described as a ‘workers’ paradise’ (Stummer and Lacey, 2001). At the beginning of 2012, the Deputy Prime Minister of the UK unveiled plans to create a ‘John Lewis Economy’ (Wintour, 2012). As John Lewis is being positioned at the heart of political and media discussions in the UK about alternatives to the corporate capitalist model of enterprise, it is vital that more is known about the experience of employee involvement and participation within the organisation. This article explores the ways in which the practice of employee involvement and participation has changed in John Lewis as a result of competing employee and managerial interests. Its contribution is a contemporary exploration of participation in the John Lewis Partnership and an examination of the ways in which management and employees contested the meaning and practice of employee involvement and participation as part of a ‘democracy project’, which culminated in significant changes and degeneration of the democratic structures.
The impact of union presence and strategic human resource management on employee voice in multinational enterprises in Australia
Authors: Sablok Gitika , Bartram Timothy , Stanton Pauline , Burgess John , McDonnell Anthony
Published: July 2013

In this article, we examine the use and character of employee voice mechanisms of foreign-owned multinational enterprises operating in Australia, as well as the influence of a strategic human resource management approach and union presence. Findings indicate that foreign-owned multinational enterprises are high-level users of the full range of employee voice mechanisms, with the exceptions of use of employee suggestion schemes, trade union recognition and the use of joint consultation committees across all sites. Using logistic regression analysis, findings show that trade union presence, a strategic human resource management approach, greenfield site and country of origin impact the employee voice approach adopted. High trade union presence is associated with an indirect employee voice approach. A low trade union presence is associated with a direct or a minimalist approach to employee voice. Moreover, a strategic human resource management approach is associated with both direct and dualistic approaches to employee voice. Implications are drawn for theory and practice.
The Politics of Dispossession
Authors: Levien Michael
Published: July 2013

While struggles over land dispossession have recently proliferated across the developing world and become particularly significant in India, this paper argues that existing theories of political agency do not capture the specificity of the politics of dispossession. Based on two years of ethnographic research on anti-dispossession movements across rural India, the paper argues that the dispossession of land creates a specific kind of politics, distinct not just from labor politics, but also from various other forms of peasant politics that have been theorized in the social sciences. It illustrates how the process of land dispossession itself shapes the targets, strategy and tactics, organization, social composition, goals, and ideologies of anti-dispossession struggles. It concludes with reflections on why land conflicts are less easily institutionalized than labor conflicts and may therefore constitute a significantly disruptive force in the emerging centers of global capitalism for the foreseeable future.
Coproducing Rural Public Schools in Brazil
Authors: Tarlau Rebecca
Published: July 2013

The Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) has been the principal protagonist developing an alternative educational proposal for rural public schools in Brazil. This article analyzes the MST’s differential success implementing this proposal in municipal and state public schools. The process is both participatory—activists working with government officials to implement MST goals—and contentious—the movement mobilizing support for its education initiatives through various forms of protest. In some locations, the MST has succeeded in institutionalizing a participatory relationship with government actors, while in other regions the MST has a more limited presence in the schools or has been completely banned from participating. Drawing on the concept of coproduction—the active participation of civil society actors in the provision of public goods—the author argues that coproduction is a joint product of high levels of social mobilization and government orientation. The former is necessary in all cases, while the latter can take the form of either a left-leaning or clientelistic government.
Caught in the Housing Bubble: Immigrants’ Housing Outcomes in Traditional Gateways and Newly Emerging Destinations
Authors: Painter Gary , Yu Zhou
Published: July 2013

Research has documented that immigrants have moved in large numbers to almost every metropolitan area and select rural areas in the US. In the midst of these demographic shifts, the country has experienced a profound recession. To date, there has been little research on the impact of the recession on immigrants across the US. Using 2006 and 2009 American Community Survey microdata, the paper assesses how the recent economic crisis has affected Latino and Asian immigrants with respect to two housing outcomes (homeownership and headship) over two important time points in the recent economic cycle. Immigrants have worse housing outcomes and significantly lower mobility rates after the recession. Regression results suggest that the negative impacts from the recession are strongest in the gateway metropolitan areas and that, after controlling for residence in the hardest-hit areas, increases in metropolitan-level unemployment and mortgage delinquency rates have a negative impact on homeownership rates. The results also suggest that, even though the recession has disrupted immigrants' upward trajectory in the housing markets, the effect has not been as severe on immigrants as one might expect. In particular, the places where immigrant populations are newest have not experienced as large a reduction in homeownership as those in the large immigrant gateways. Even in the established gateways, the decline in homeownership has been smaller for immigrants than for US-born households.
A new method for measurement of air–fuel ratio based on the response time of binary-type exhaust gas oxygen (BEGO) sensor for application in small spark ignition (SI) engines
Authors: Manivannan PV , Singaperumal M , Ramesh A
Published: July 2013

A binary-type exhaust gas oxygen (BEGO) sensor that is usually used to maintain the air–fuel ratio (AFR) at stoichiometric conditions in current spark ignition (SI) engines is significantly lower in cost compared with the universal exhaust gas oxygen sensor. However, it can only switch from a high state (≈0.7 V) to a low state (≈0.1 V) when the mixture goes from richer to leaner than stoichiometric conditions or vice versa. Thus, it cannot indicate the actual AFR. A novel method of estimating the AFR of an SI engine using a BEGO sensor has been demonstrated in this work for leaner than stoichiometric mixtures. Experiments were conducted on a single-cylinder, manifold-injection SI engine. The air–fuel mixture was initially kept at a richer than stoichiometric level while the engine was maintained at constant speed and throttle. The mixture was suddenly changed to a leaner than stoichiometric level. The switching time of the BEGO sensor during this operation was noted. This was repeated for different initial and final AFRs. A relationship between the switching time and change in AFR was obtained for different initial AFRs. A look-up table to determine the AFR was made and used under test conditions. The error is less than 5% in the estimated AFR. The system was also incorporated on a low-cost microcontroller-based engine management system and tested under laboratory conditions.
Regulatory Forum Opinion Piece*
Authors: Konishi Yoichi , Hayashi Shim-mo , Fukushima Shoji
Published: July 2013

The advancement of technology and the growth of international commerce underscore the need for global harmonization of regulatory safety requirements and their assessment pertaining to consumer products such as drugs, medical devices, and food. This need is particularly relevant when safety requirements involve time-intensive and costly animal safety studies. Here we present the current regulatory requirements in Europe, the United States, and Japan for flavoring substances (FSs) used in foods and point out significant differences relevant to the international standardization for safety assessments that in our opinion need to be addressed and overcome. The safety assessments that are carried out for FSs in various countries are influenced by divergent definitions of FS, by the information required and available for regulatory submission, and by different regulatory procedures, including the use of decision tree approaches. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Expert Panel of the U.S. Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA), and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) are making efforts to improve and harmonize the safety assessment of FSs. The application of in silico methods such as quantitative structure–activity relationships and read-across strategies relying on expert input are useful as a first-step screening of the assessment. Application of the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) approach permits conclusions that are compatible with the risk assessment approaches currently used by international advisory committees.

The Japanese Regulatory Authority, on the other hand, does not yet consider in silico methods but still requires in vivo and in vitro genotoxicity test data as well as repeat-dose 90-day toxicity data in at least one species, to be submitted as the first step in the safety assessment of FSs. With this article, we echo requests that have been made for xenobiotics by the pharmaceutical industry worldwide, extending them to food-related products, especially FSs. We encourage regulatory agencies to adopt globally harmonized safety assessment procedures, regulatory guidelines, and review practices for FSs to foster global trade and to reduce costs and laboratory animal use.
Rural tourism and ancient traditions: Evidence from Italian regions
Authors: Lagravinese Raffaele
Published: July 2013

This study examines the development of rural tourism in Italy, highlighting the wide range of activities undertaken on rural tourism farms. Currently, rural tourism is presented as an enterprise parallel to traditional farming activities that generates additional income and fosters greater sensitivity to the environment and land conservation. The implications for employment are significant, particularly for women and young people in southern regions. European policies, through Local Action Groups, have proved to be an effective planning tool for the development of tourism at the local level, in particular in the Puglia region where old rural structures called masserias have been renovated to create excellent tourist facilities.
When it’s gone it’s gone: The politics of the Save Meadowbank Stadium Campaign
Authors: Reid Gavin
Published: July 2013

The Save Meadowbank Campaign has, since 2007, successfully fought Edinburgh Council’s decision to demolish, without community consultations, Meadowbank stadium and sport facilities to fund a city-wide sporting vision. Drawing on sociological literature on stadium protests, 21 interviews with key actors, and analysis of relevant documents and Internet material, I suggest that, by underestimating the symbolism of stadiums, under-resourced officials lacked the required media strategy and unified coalition to counter a unique protest. An uneasy alliance of left-wing Solidarity party activists and sport enthusiasts created an emotive political and sporting campaign, with more local credibility than the sporting arguments of international stadium consultants and under-resourced and politically naïve officials. Protestors campaigned inside and outside the political system through fear, sympathy and alliances with politicians, facility users, the media, residents, academics, celebrities and sport stars. This unified coalition contrasted with the loose pro-demolition coalition which lacked an individual or group capable of fronting a political campaign. Over-riding all this was the organisation of key Meadowbank decisions just before the 2007 local election. This encouraged a political bandwagon against the Council’s vision – which protestors skillfully encouraged through traditional protest tactics and use of the Internet – which delayed proceedings until it was mothballed by the 2008 global recession.
An evaluation of treatment integrity in a randomized trial of behavioural therapy for low mood in stroke patients with aphasia
Authors: Thomas Shirley A , Russell Claire , Seed Ruth , Worthington Esme , Walker Marion F , Macniven Jamie A , Lincoln Nadina B
Published: July 2013

Objective:

To assess the treatment integrity of behavioural therapy for low mood in stroke patients with aphasia.

Design:

Participants were recruited to a multicentre randomized controlled trial (Communication and Low Mood; CALM trial) comparing behavioural therapy with a usual care control group.

Subjects:

Of the 51 participants randomly allocated to receive behavioural therapy, 44 participants completed treatment.

Methods:

Participants were assessed on measures of disability, language and mood. The number and length of therapy sessions, and therapist was recorded. Allocation of time to therapy components was compared across three phases of therapy. Associations between levels of disability, aphasia, mood and the therapy patients received were determined. Therapy content was compared between centres and at the beginning and end of the trial.

Results:

The mean number of therapy sessions was 9.1 (range 3–18, SD 2.6) and the mean duration of sessions was 58 minutes (range 30–89 minutes, SD 10.7). Allocation of time to each therapy component significantly differed across the three phases of therapy ( P < 0.05). There were no significant associations ( P > 0.05) between the length and number of sessions and patients’ aphasia, mood or disability, suggesting similar levels of therapy were provided regardless of patients’ characteristics. The content of therapy showed some differences between centres ( P < 0.01) and there was programme drift in some components of therapy.

Conclusions:

The results support the ability of the therapists to deliver behavioural therapy according to the treatment manual. However there were differences between centres and over time in some components of therapy.
The use of patient-specific measurement instruments in the process of goal-setting: a systematic review of available instruments and their feasibility
Authors: Stevens Anita , Beurskens Anna , Köke Albère , van der Weijden Trudy
Published: July 2013

Objective:

The aim of this study was to identify the currently available patient-specific measurement instruments used in the process of goal-setting and to assess their feasibility.

Methods:

After a systematic search in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsychINFO and REHABDATA, patient-specific instruments were included, structured in a goal-setting practice framework and subjected to a qualitative thematic analysis of feasibility.

Results:

A total of 25 patient-specific instruments were identified and 11 were included. These instruments can be used for goal negotiation, goal-setting and evaluation. Each instrument has its own strengths and weaknesses during the different phases of the goal-setting process. Objective feasibility data were revealed for all instruments such as administration time, instruction, training and availability. Subjective feasibility could only be analysed for the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Goal Attainment Scaling, Self-Identified Goal Assessment and Talking Mats. Relevant themes were that Canadian Occupational Performance Measure and Goal Attainment Scaling were time consuming and difficult for patients with cognitive problems, but they facilitated goal-setting in a client-centred approach. Talking Mats was especially feasible for patients with cognitive and communication impairments.

Conclusions:

A total of 11 instruments were identified, and although some had strong points, there is no single good instrument that can be recommended specifically. Applying a combination of the strengths of the available instruments within a goal-setting framework can improve goal setting and tailor it to individual patients.
Accelerated Weightbearing Rehabilitation After Matrix-Induced Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation in the Tibiofemoral Joint
Authors: Edwards Peter K. , Ackland Timothy R. , Ebert Jay R.
Published: July 2013

Background:

Matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) has become an established technique for the repair of full-thickness chondral defects in the knee, although best patient outcomes appear limited by a lack of evidence-based knowledge on how to progressively increase postoperative weightbearing (WB) and rehabilitation exercises.

Hypothesis:

To determine the safety and efficacy of an accelerated WB regimen after MACI in the tibiofemoral joint.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods:

Clinical and radiological assessments were performed in 28 knees at 12 months after MACI to the medial or lateral femoral condyle. Both rehabilitation interventions sought to protect the implant for an initial period and then incrementally increase load bearing. Under the “accelerated” (AR) protocol, patients reached full WB at 6 weeks after surgery compared with 8 weeks for what was considered to be the current “best practice” (CR) WB regimen based on previous research. Assessments included the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), visual analog scale, 6-minute walk test, and active knee range of motion (ROM). High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to describe the quality and quantity of repair tissue via the assessment of pertinent parameters of graft repair as well as an MRI composite score.

Results:

Patients in both groups demonstrated significant improvement ( P < .05) in all clinical measures over the preoperative and postoperative timeline from before surgery to 12 months after surgery. The AR group reported significantly better ( P < .05) SF-36 physical component scores at 8 weeks and significantly greater ( P < .05) KOOS quality of life scores at 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Although no differences ( P > .05) were observed between the 2 groups for active knee ROM, the AR group did achieve full active knee extension as early as 4 weeks compared with the CR group at 12 weeks. There was no difference ( P > .05) in graft quality as assessed by MRI (MOCART composite score: AR, 3.34; CR, 3.04), with no patients suffering any adverse effects from the implant up to 12 months, regardless of the rehabilitation protocol employed.

Conclusion:

The AR approach that reduced the length of time spent ambulating on crutches resulted in improved general physical function and quality of life and an earlier attainment of full active knee extension when compared with the CR approach. There were no graft complications ascertained through MRI. This regimen appears safe and may potentially speed up the recovery of normal gait function. A larger patient cohort and follow-up are required to observe long-term graft outcomes.
Does High Knee Flexion Cause Separation of Meniscal Repairs?
Authors: Lin David L. , Ruh Sarah S. , Jones Hugh L. , Karim Azim , Noble Philip C. , McCulloch Patrick C.
Published: July 2013

Background:

Previous clinical studies comparing nonrestrictive and restrictive protocols after meniscal repair have shown no difference in outcomes; however, some surgeons still limit range of motion out of concern that it will place undue stress on the repair.

Hypothesis:

Large acute medial meniscal tears will gap during simulated open chain exercises at high flexion angles, and a repaired construct with vertical mattress sutures will not gap.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Tantalum beads were implanted in the medial menisci of 6 fresh-frozen cadaveric knees via an open posteromedial approach. Each knee underwent 10 simulated open chain flexion cycles with loading of the quadriceps and hamstrings. Testing was performed on 3 different states of the meniscus: intact, torn, and repaired. Biplanar radiographs were taken of the loaded knee in 90°, 110°, and 135° of flexion for each state. A 2.5-cm tear was created in the posteromedial meniscus and repaired with inside-out vertical mattress sutures. Displacement of pairs of beads spanning the tear was measured in all planes by use of radiostereometric analysis (RSA) with an accuracy of better than 80 μm.

Results:

With a longitudinal tear, compression rather than gapping occurred in all 3 regions of the posterior horn of the meniscus (mean ± standard deviation for medial collateral ligament [MCL], –321 ± 320 μm; midposterior, –487 ± 256 μm; root, –318 ± 150 μm) with knee flexion. After repair, meniscal displacement returned part way to intact values in both the MCL (+55 ± 250 μm) and root region (–170 ± 123 μm) but not the midposterior region, where further compression was seen (–661 ± 278 μm).

Conclusions:

Acute posteromedial meniscal tears and repairs with vertical mattress sutures do not gap, but rather compress in the transverse plane at higher flexion angles when subjected to physiologic loads consistent with active, open kinetic chain range of motion rehabilitation exercises. The kinematics of the repaired meniscus more closely resemble that of the intact meniscus than that of the torn meniscus in regions adjacent to the MCL and the root but not in the midposterior region, where meniscal repair led to increased compression across the tear plane.

Clinical Relevance:

This study supports the idea that nonrestrictive unresisted open chain range of motion protocols do not place undue stress on meniscal repairs.
Experimental study on flexural fatigue behavior of glass fibers/epoxy hybrid composites with statistical analysis
Authors: Selmy AI , El-baky MA Abd , Azab NA
Published: July 2013

Flexural fatigue behaviors were investigated experimentally for unidirectional glass fiber (U)/random glass fiber (R)/epoxy hybrid composite laminates. Three different hybrid composites, i.e. [0.5R/U/U]S, [U/0.5R/U]S and [U/U/0.5R]S were fabricated using hand lay-up technique with 37% total fiber volume fraction ( VfT), unidirectional glass fiber relative volume fraction ( VfU/ VfT) = 0.8 and of 5.5 ± 0.2 mm thickness. Flexural fatigue tests were performed at zero mean stress. A 20% reduction of the flexural stiffness was taken as a failure criterion. The effects of layer stacking sequences on both initial stress–no. of cycles to failure relationships and the relative surface temperature increase of the mentioned composites were investigated. The specimen failure modes have been recorded and discussed. The S–N curves and fatigue safe workability areas for the fabricated hybrid composites have been constructed as design curves. Two-parameter Weibull distribution function was used to obtain the scatter in the experimental results and to construct the reliability graphs for the fabricated hybrid composites.
Female Apparel Consumers’ Understanding of Body Size and Shape
Authors: Song Hwa Kyung , Ashdown Susan P.
Published: July 2013

This study assessed the reliability of the self-perceived lower-body size and shape using 3D body-scanning technology. Comparison of each participant's measurements on the relevant variables to categorized Size USA data provided a method of identifying where an individual is placed in relation to the population. Comparing perceptions (survey results) to actual placement in the population (derived from a participant's 3D body measurements) gave insight into how different categories of participants viewed themselves and how valid their self-assessments were at various locations on the body. This study also analyzed the relationship between garment fit satisfaction, body cathexis, and self-perception of lower-body size and shape for each body location because apparel companies have had difficulty in understanding fit from a consumer's perspective. The researchers expect that the analyses of the influences of body cathexis and body perceptions on fit satisfaction can help apparel companies further understand their customers' fit satisfaction goals.
A (Our) Nitty-Gritty Reality
Authors: McAndrews Laura E. , Ha-Brookshire Jung E.
Published: July 2013

The study explored meanings of success described by women educators in the textile and apparel (T&A) discipline by considering women educators as valuable resources driving the success of this unique discipline, while operating between several social identities in their professional careers and personal lives. The interpretation of 14 in-depth interviews with women educators from Midwestern high schools and universities revealed three theme categories (a) meanings of professional success, (b) meanings of personal success, and (c) work-life balance. The participants shared their struggle in balancing professional and personal success and the need for support to help achieve work-life balance. Implications derived from the results supported the importance of including both objective and subjective measures of success in reviewing women educators' performance. In addition, the need to understand from both the individual and organization on how women educators play several demanding roles within different social identities, ultimately affecting their performance and personal well-being.
Efficient approach for solution of the mechanical losses of the piston ring pack
Authors: Novotny Pavel , Pistek Vaclav , Drapal Lubomir , Svída David , Devera Tomas
Published: July 2013

Piston rings play an important role in the lubricant system of reciprocating engines with consequences for engine wear, power losses and oil consumption. The computational solution of piston ring dynamics is a very complex problem which requires multiple numerical approaches supplemented by suitable inputs. This paper demonstrates the principles of the numerical solution of piston ring dynamics in mixed-lubrication conditions incorporating a virtual engine and experimental inputs. A simulation algorithm is integrated into the user-guided interface and it is available for industry usage. The solution results are presented for a passenger car petrol engine with a three-piston-ring configuration.
Health-related quality of life of HIV-infected intravenous drug users
Authors: Surah S , Adams R , Townsend L , Reynolds I , Kinahan JC , Keating S , Mulcahy F , Keenan E , Barry M , Lyons F
Published: July 2013

To investigate health-related quality of life in HIV-infected intravenous drug users registered but not engaged in HIV outpatient care (missing ≥2 outpatient appointments over 1 year or non-attendance for ≥6 months) we conducted a cross-sectional study to examine health-related quality of life of HIV-infected intravenous drug users registered for care at an inner city HIV unit. EQ-5D, SF-36, SF-6D, mood disorder, clinical and substance misuse data were collected. Mean scores and preference derived utility scores were calculated. Statistical relationships between health-related quality of life and other variables were explored using univariate and multivariate analysis. Fifty-five patients were recruited, 64% were males. The mean anxiety value was 11.44 (anxious) and mean depression score was 9.3 (borderline depressed). The mean EQ-5D utility was 0.45 (95% CI 0.35, 0.55) and mean SF-6D utility was 0.52 (95% CI 0.48, 0.55). There was no statistical relationship between HIV indices, substance misuse and EQ-5D and SF-6D utility. Anxiety and depression were significantly correlated with EQ-5D and SF-6D utility values on univariate and multivariate analysis. Health-related quality of life was reduced in this HIV-infected intravenous drug user population. Whilst hepatitis C co-infection and substance misuse did not affect health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression had a significant impact on it.
Ecosystem service provision sets the pace for pre-Hispanic societal development in the central Andes
Authors: Gosling William D , Williams Joseph J
Published: July 2013

Human access to natural resources (or provisioning ecosystem services) is controlled by climate conditions and usage. In the central Andean highlands, around Lake Titicaca, water and woodlands have been critical resources for human populations over the last 5000 years. During this time period, human society developed from mobile hunter–forager groups into settled agrarian populations ( c. 3400 years ago) through to the rise of some of the first ‘civilizations’ in the central Andes ( c. 2500 years ago). Records of past environmental and vegetation change reveal that coincident with these societal reorganizations were variations in the availability of water and woodland resource. Prior to Hispanic arrival in the central Andes (before ad 1532), changes in availability of natural resources are shown to be concomitant with societal reorganizations; however, changes in societal organization are shown not to necessarily result in the degradation of ecosystem services (i.e. woodland resource available). Through the last 5000 years, three concomitant repeated adaptive cycles of destabilization, reorganization, growth and maxima are identified in human and ecological systems. This suggests that long-term (>100 year) societal development was paced by both increases and decreases in ecosystem service provision. The approach of past societies to dealing with changes in baseline resource availability may provide a useful model for policymakers to consider in the light of the predicted scarcity of resource over the coming decades.
Mobbing in Health Sector: Sample of University Hospital
Authors: Somunoğlu Sinem , Gedik Ayçin , Kurt Derya Erol , Eygi Gökhan , Gebedek Şayeste , Ilhan Yasemin , Sağ Züleyha
Published: July 2013

It has been pointed out that mobbing is one of the major problem areas in the health sector in recent years. To identify the presence of mobbing, this study was conducted in a university hospital located in Zonguldak city. When the mobbing behaviours against nurses were examined, mobbing was listed as a humiliating and unfavourable communication (57.8%), verbal threats (26.2%), physical attacks (5.9%), verbal or behavioural sexual attacks (8%), and prevention of self-improvement opportunities (17.6%). When the most frequent mobbing practicer were asked, the answer was given as the patients.

Nurses considered changing their organizations or quitting their job because of mobbing. The article suggests increasing awareness of mobbing among nurses.
The Nomenclature and Classification of Human Resources for Health: A Review
Authors: Kumar Binay , Sharma Kavya , Zodpey Sanjay
Published: July 2013

This article attempts to answer the obvious question of who are the people that can be included in the definition of Human Resources for Health and what might they be called. To answer the question an extensive search of literature was conducted. The search was aimed at identifying the nomenclature and classifications of human resources for health.

The search resulted in a variety of nomenclature and a large number of classification frameworks which were then narrowed down to seven frameworks. It was found that there is a lot of overlap in the definitions used for various nomenclatures. The terms ‘health workers’ and ‘public health workers’ are a major area of disagreement and confusion. The classifications also indicated a lot of difference of opinions on who should be included in the various categories suggested in the different classifications. However, almost all these classifications identify at least three major categories of health workers; the specialist health workers, the specialist public health workers and the health management/support workers.

The article points out an important area which is generally neglected in the human resource policy making. An attention to better classification can have a tremendous impact on human resource planning and monitoring.