bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How Individuals Process NWS Weather Warning Messages on Their Cell Phones
Authors: Casteel Mark A. , Downing Joe R. 
Published: June 2013

AbstractU.S. government officials are focusing their attention on how to deliver timely and effective warning information to the public, especially given the devastating weather-related events that have occurred in recent years. With the increase of cell phones (and in particular, web-capable smartphones), weather warnings sent through various cellular technologies represent one way for officials to quickly notify an increasingly mobile public. Cellular technology innovations also make it possible for officials to broadcast information-rich media like graphics to cell phones. Whether warning messages must include such “rich” media to be effective remains an open question. The current study investigates the effectiveness of National Weather Service (NWS) warning messages sent either in plain text or in text that includes a radar image of the storm. The research protocol was modeled after the interactive National Weather Service (iNWS) messaging service currently available to NWS core partners. In the study, participants read full-text NWS warnings of tornadoes or flash floods that either did or did not include a radar image of the storm. The researchers timed participants' ability to decide if a critical town was in the warning area, and then probed their understanding of the message content. Results show that participants' decision times to the town question did not differ between the graphic and no-graphic conditions. None of the other message content measures differed as a function of message condition. The results have potential implications for the federal government's new Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system, which, as yet, is limited to text-only warnings.
Perfect Timing
Authors: Werneke Julia , Kleen Andro , Vollrath Mark 
Published: June 2013

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of different driving scenarios (urban, rural, highway) on the timing required by drivers from a two-stage warning system, based on car-to-car communication. Background: Car-to-car communication systems are designed to inform drivers of potential hazards at an early stage, before they are visible to them. Here, questions arise as to how drivers acknowledge early warnings and when they should be informed (first stage) and warned (second stage). Hence, optimum timing for presenting the information was tested. Method: A psychophysical method was used to establish the optimum timing in three driving scenarios at different speed limits (urban: 50 km/h, rural: 100 km/h, highway: 130 km/h). A total of 24 participants (11 female, 13 male; M = 29.1 years, SD = 11.6 years) participated in the study. Results: The results showed that the optimum timing did not differ among the three scenarios. The first and second stages should ultimately be presented at different timings at each speed limit (first stage: 26.5 s, second stage: 12.1 s before a potential hazard). Conclusion: The results showed that well-selected timing for activating information and warning is crucial for the acceptance of these systems. Appropriate timing for presenting the information and warning can be derived for these systems. Application: The findings will be integrated in further development of assistance systems based on car-to-x technology within the Car2X-Safety project of the Niedersächsisches Forschungszentrum Fahrzeugtechnik in Germany. This study was also supported by Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.
Identification of the Human Factors Contributing to Maintenance Failures in a Petroleum Operation
Authors: Antonovsky Ari , Pollock Clare , Straker Leon 
Published: June 2013

Objective: This research aimed to identify the most frequently occurring human factors contributing to maintenance-related failures within a petroleum industry organization. Commonality between failures will assist in understanding reliability in maintenance processes, thereby preventing accidents in high-hazard domains. Background: Methods exist for understanding the human factors contributing to accidents. Their application in a maintenance context mainly has been advanced in aviation and nuclear power. Maintenance in the petroleum industry provides a different context for investigating the role that human factors play in influencing outcomes. It is therefore worth investigating the contributing human factors to improve our understanding of both human factors in reliability and the factors specific to this domain. Method: Detailed analyses were conducted of maintenance-related failures ( N = 38) in a petroleum company using structured interviews with maintenance technicians. The interview structure was based on the Human Factor Investigation Tool (HFIT), which in turn was based on Rasmussen’s model of human malfunction. Results: A mean of 9.5 factors per incident was identified across the cases investigated. The three most frequent human factors contributing to the maintenance failures were found to be assumption (79% of cases), design and maintenance (71%), and communication (66%). Conclusion: HFIT proved to be a useful instrument for identifying the pattern of human factors that recurred most frequently in maintenance-related failures. Application: The high frequency of failures attributed to assumptions and communication demonstrated the importance of problem-solving abilities and organizational communication in a domain where maintenance personnel have a high degree of autonomy and a wide geographical distribution.
Towards a treatment model for family therapy for schizophrenia in an urban African setting: Results from a qualitative study
Authors: Asmal Laila , Mall Sumaya , Emsley Robin , Chiliza Bonginkosi , Swartz Leslie 
Published: June 2013

Background: Family interventional programmes are effective adjuncts to pharmacotherapy in patients with schizophrenia. Modification in content of such programmes in response to local challenges is considered important, but has not been fully explored in Africa. Aims: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of an interventional family study for people with schizophrenia and their families in a socially deprived urban community in South Africa and to explore the contextual factors that could influence implementation of the intervention. Method: A psychiatric nurse facilitated semi-structured interviews with four multi-family groups, each comprising adult outpatients with schizophrenia and their caregivers. Six sessions were held per group. Thematic analysis was applied. Results: Three themes emerged: stigma and abuse; substance abuse comorbidity and caregiver burden of multiple stressors. Many of these stressors relate to the challenges of an impoverished urban environment. Conclusions: Multi-family groups with a psycho-educational and behaviour modification frame are acceptable. Negative symptoms are seen as protective in areas of community violence. Modification of traditional models of family therapy to include factors related to poverty, violence, caregiver burden, stigma and limited health care access should be considered in this setting.
Outsourcing and the New Labor Precariousness in Latin America
Authors: Fernández Dídimo Castillo , Sotelo Valencia Adrián 
Published: June 2013

The subcontracting and delocalization of productive activities that characterize the global capitalist economy are an attempt to reduce costs and exempt corporations from their responsibilities to labor by delegating production to other companies, regions, and countries and even to the workers themselves. Latin America is a prime destination for this corporate outsourcing. Outsourcing has increased deregulation and labor flexibility and introduced a model of high labor turnover and transience that creates fragmentation and precarious employment in the working class. La subcontratación y la deslocalización de actividades productivas que caracterizan a la economía capitalista mundial son un intento de reducir costos y eximir a las empresas de sus responsabilidades, delegando los procesos de producción a otras empresas, regiones y países, e incluso los mismos trabajadores. Latinoamérica es un destino principal para la externalización de las empresas. La externalización ha aumentado la desregulación y la flexibilización laboral e introdujo un modelo de rotación de mano de obra y la transitoriedad que crea la creciente fragmentación y el empleo precario entre la clase obrera.
The Ambiguities of Human Rights in Colombia
Authors: Chambers Paul A. 
Published: June 2013

The inherent ambiguities of human rights language and activism in the context of Colombia’s ongoing armed conflict and the way the discourse has been instrumentalized and appropriated by all sides in the conflict have contributed to skepticism about human rights that has dangerous implications for constructing a democratic culture consonant with the formal rights protections enshrined in the Constitution. These ambiguities arise from the complex social and political trajectory of human rights activism in the country, ideological pressures, and general philosophical confusions stemming from liberal moral philosophy. The more sociologically oriented moral philosophy of Alasdair MacIntyre provides better resources both for interpreting the problems with human rights activism and ethical discourse in Colombia and for grounding a more cogent ethical response to Colombia’s widely recognized moral crisis. Las ambigüedades inherentes del lenguaje de los derechos humanos y el activismo en el contexto del actual conflicto armado en Colombia y la forma en que el discurso ha sido instrumentalizado y apropiado por todos los lados en el conflicto han contribuido al escepticismo acerca de los derechos humanos que tiene implicaciones peligrosas para la construcción de una cultura democrática consonante con las protecciones de derechos formales consagradas en la Constitución. Estas ambigüedades surgen de la compleja trayectoria social y política del activismo por los derechos humanos en el país, las presiones ideológicas y confusiones filosóficas generales derivadas de la filosofía moral liberal. La filosofía moral más sociológicamente orientada de Alasdair MacIntyre proporciona mejores recursos, tanto para la interpretación de los problemas con el activismo por los derechos humanos y el discurso ético en Colombia como para fundamentar una respuesta ética más convincente a la crisis moral ampliamente reconocida en Colombia.
Dollars, “Free Trade,” and Migration
Authors: Garni Alisa , Weyher L. Frank 
Published: June 2013

Driven by new conditions of desperation and alienation, mass migration in postwar El Salvador has continued unabated. While this migration could be seen as a way of “opting out” of ongoing class struggle, we argue that it instead represents a critical dissipation of class relations and struggle. In the postwar context, the ruling class and the Salvadoran state seek to capitalize on the alienation of their own people and their responses to that alienation—migration and the remittances it generates. The ruling class has ensured its economic domination regardless of who controls the state. Seeking to legitimize and maximize the seizure of citizens’ income as it flows across borders as a matter of “economic” and “development” policy, the ruling class has depleted the productive base through which class struggle would ordinarily occur, creating new forces of alienation in El Salvador and increasing the need for many Salvadorans to migrate. Impulsada por las nuevas condiciones de desesperación y alienación, la migración masiva en El Salvador posguerra no ha disminuido. Aunque esta migración podría ser vista como una forma de abandonar la lucha de clases en curso, en realidad representa una disipación crítica de las relaciones de clase y de lucha. En el contexto de la posguerra, el Estado salvadoreño busca capitalizar de la alienación de su propio pueblo y sus respuestas a esa alienación—migración y las remesas que genera. La clase dominante ha asegurado su dominio económico independientemente de quién controla el Estado. Tratando de legitimar y maximizar la captura de la renta de los ciudadanos a medida que fluye a través de las fronteras como parte de la política económica y del desarrollo, la clase dominante ha agotado la base productiva a través del cual la lucha de clases que normalmente se produce, creando nuevas fuerzas de alienación en El Salvador y aumentando la necesidad de muchos salvadoreños a emigrar.
Drivers of cost and health-related quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE): a Swedish nationwide study based on patient reports
Authors: Bexelius C , Wachtmeister K , Skare P , Jönsson L , Vollenhoven R van 
Published: June 2013

The objective of this paper is to investigate drivers of cost and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) related to disease activity and fatigue among patients with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE). A questionnaire was sent to members of a patient organization with a self-reported diagnosis of SLE, requesting information on demographics and disease characteristics, medications, resource utilization, informal care, loss of productivity, fatigue and HRQoL in relation to SLE. Mean annual costs per patient were estimated from a societal perspective. HRQoL was measured through EQ-5D and fatigue was measured through a 10 cm VAS scale. Patient-reported disease activity was measured through the Systemic Lupus Activity Questionnaire (SLAQ) and corticosteroid dose. Drivers of costs and HRQoL were analyzed through regression analysis. A total of 339 patients out of 737 returned the questionnaire. Mean age was 55; 94% were female. The mean HRQoL measured through the five-item EQ-5D instrument was 0.64 and total costs were estimated at €22,594 (direct costs €7818; indirect costs €14,776). Disease activity, fatigue and corticosteroid doses had a statistically significant impact on costs and HRQoL. This study demonstrates that Swedish patients with SLE have low HRQoL and incur high societal costs and that are both associated with and most likely driven by disease activity, fatigue and corticosteroid use.
A case of toxic epidermal necrolysis-like skin lesions with systemic lupus erythematosus and review of the literature
Authors: Cetin G Yildirim , Sayar H , Ozkan F , Kurtulus S , Kesici F , Sayarlıoglu M 
Published: June 2013

Objective Subepidermal bullous lesions and toxic epidermal necrolysis-like (TEN-like) lesions can occur in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this report, we describe a case of a patient previously diagnosed with SLE who experienced TEN-like skin lesions with unusual subacute progression in the context of the current literature. Methods We present a recent case of TEN-like lupus erythematosus and review of studies published in English identifying SLE cases mimicking TEN, accessed via PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The keywords used in the search were: TEN, SLE, TEN-like SLE, and TEN-like lesions. The search covered all articles from January 1980 to November 2011. Results A 52-year-old male presented with fatigue, weakness, and weight loss (23 kg in two months). Skin redness started across nose and cheeks six months before admission. Bilateral pleural effusions were observed in a thorax tomography taken in the referral hospital two months prior to admission. Because of articular involvement, antinuclear antibody (ANA), and anti-dsDNA positivity, the patient was diagnosed with SLE. We initiated a punch skin biopsy, and the findings were consistent with Stevens-Johnson syndrome. There was marked basal layer necrosis in the epidermis, and there was predominantly lymphohistiocytic infiltrate in the dermis. A total of 22 cases, including our case, with TEN-like lupus erythematosus were reported in the literature. In addition, cutaneous lupus had positive ANAs in 18 of 22 patients (81.8%). The patients were aged 12 to 76 years; 21 cases were women and only one patient was male. Discussion Skin involvement, including the rare variant of TEN-like acute cutaneous SLE, is very common among SLE patients. The acute syndrome of pan-epidermolysis or apoptotic pan-epidermolysis may become a useful designation when considering a clinical diagnosis of drug-induced TEN or SLE. Further studies are required to verify our findings.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate is a predictor of renal and overall SLE disease activity
Authors: Stojan G , Fang H , Magder L , Petri M 
Published: June 2013

Objective Our aim was to assess whether erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels correlate with the level of disease activity at each visit and whether a change in ESR could be useful in predicting changes in disease activity. Methods Thousands of visits in a prospective systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) cohort were analyzed to assess the association of ESR and level of disease activity. We explored whether ESR was cross-sectionally associated with disease activity, whether changes in ESR were associated with changes in disease activity, and whether changes in ESR predicted future changes in disease activity. Visits when patients had cancer, infection, pregnancy or were in renal failure were excluded. Results After adjusting for confounding factors, mild (25–50 mm/h), moderate (51–75 mm/h), and marked (>75 mm/h) elevations in ESR levels at a given visit correlated with the SELENA-SLEDAI, the Physician Global Assessment (PGA), fatigue, renal, joint, rash, serositis, hematological visual analogue scale (VAS), hematuria and proteinuria ( p < 0.0001) levels at that visit. A change in ESR between two visits was highly correlated with a concurrent change in PGA, renal, fatigue and joint VAS ( p < 0.0001). There was no statistically significant correlation between change in ESR between two visits and change in disease activity at a future visit. The subgroup analysis of patients who do not have anti-dsDNA and low complement levels as a feature of their disease showed ESR to be positively associated with SLEDAI, PGA, renal and joint VAS at that visit ( p < 0.0001), but there were few significant associations between changes in ESR and changes in disease activity. Conclusion ESR is associated with disease activity in SLE measured by the SELENA-SLEDAI, the PGA, and with organ-specific activity including serositis, rash, joint, renal and hematological VAS. Grouping baseline ESR into four levels does associate with both global and organ-specific disease activity. A change in ESR between two visits was highly correlated with a change in PGA, renal, fatigue and joint VAS. In patients without anti-dsDNA and low complement levels, ESR was positively associated with SLEDAI, PGA, renal and joint VAS at the same visit. Until more specific biomarkers are validated, serial ESR does have some utility in following disease activity in SLE.
Palliative Care Consultation Trajectories
Authors: Kozlov Elissa , Carpenter Brian D. , Thorsten Michael , Heiland Mark , Agarwal Anupam 
Published: June 2013

Background: Palliative care consultations teams (PCCTs) promote comprehensive health but only if the PCCT can influence actual care. The purpose of this study is to document the types of recommendations made by a PCCT, determine the rates at which recommendations are implemented, and identify the factors related to implementation. Results: The mean number of recommendations per patient was 1.44 (standard deviation = 1.81), and 57% of the recommendations were implemented. Discharge and goals of care recommendations were significantly more likely to be implemented than recommendations for pain, symptom management, and consultation of other services. Conclusions: Although PCCTs may have suggestions about how to guide care, many of those recommendations are not implemented. Future research is needed to understand how to maximize the impact of PCCTs.
Electrophysiological markers and predictors of the disease course in primary progressive multiple sclerosis
Authors: Schlaeger Regina , D’Souza Marcus , Schindler Christian , Grize Leticia , Kappos Ludwig , Fuhr Peter 
Published: June 2013

Background: Currently no valid surrogate marker exists for primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). Objective: Our aim was to prospectively investigate multimodal evoked potentials (EPs) as markers and predictors of the disease course in PPMS. Methods: Twenty-two PPMS patients were prospectively examined with visual, somatosensory and motor EPs and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) assessments at baseline (T0) and at six-month intervals over three years. Spearman rank correlation was used to determine the relationship between EP measures and EDSS. The relationship between disease evolution and a numerical score derived from z-transformed EP-latencies ( s-EP-Q) and baseline characteristics was further assessed using multivariable linear regression analysis. Results: s-EP-Q correlated with EDSS score at all points in time in cross-sectional comparison (0.53≤rs ≤0.68; 0.0007≤p≤0.0232) and also longitudinally by trend ( rs=0.46, p=0.0740). The s-EP-QT0 correlated with the EDSS score at year 3 (T6) ( rs=0.77, p<0.0001). The s-EP-Q changes became statistically significant six months before corresponding changes were seen in the EDSS score. EDSST6 as predicted by EDSST6= −1.027+0.037* age+0.217* s-EP-QT0 + 0.695* EDSST0 correlated with the observed values ( rs=0.92, p<0.0001). Conclusions: Multimodal EPs correlate well with disability in PPMS, and allow some prediction of the disease course over three years. These findings support a role of EPs as surrogate markers in clinical trials in PPMS.
Balance deficit with opened or closed eyes reveals involvement of different structures of the central nervous system in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Prosperini Luca , Petsas Nikolaos , Raz Eytan , Sbardella Emilia , Tona Francesca , Mancinelli Chiara Rosa , Pozzilli Carlo , Pantano Patrizia 
Published: June 2013

Objective: To evaluate whether balance deficit in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), as assessed with eyes opened (EO) and closed (EC), is associated with damage of different structures of the central nervous system (CNS). Methods: Fifty patients with MS and 20 healthy controls (HCs) underwent static posturography to calculate the body’s center of pressure displacement (COP path) with EO and EC. They were scanned using a 3.0T magnet to obtain PD/T2 and 3D-T1-weighted images of the brain and spinal cord. We determined the mid-sagittal cerebellum area (MSCA) and upper cervical cord cross-sectional area (UCCA). We also measured the patients’ lesion volumes (T2-LVs) on the whole brain and at different infratentorial levels. Results: MS patients had wider COP paths with both EO and EC ( p < 0.001), and lower values in both MSCA ( p = 0.01) and UCCA ( p = 0.008) than HCs. The COP path with EO was associated with MSCA (Beta = − 0.58; p = 0.004) and T2-LV on middle cerebellar peduncles (Beta = 0.59; p = 0.002). The COP path with EC was associated with UCCA (Beta= − 22.74; p = 0.003) and brainstem T2-LV (Beta = 0.52; p = 0.01). Conclusions: Balance deficit in MS was related to atrophy of both the cerebellum and spinal cord, but the extent of COP path under the two different conditions (EO or EC) implied different patterns of damage in the CNS.