bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The mentally ill and their impact on family caregivers: A qualitative case study
Authors: Azman Azlinda , Jamir Singh Paramjit Singh , Sulaiman Jamalludin
Published: September 2017

The impact of mental illness is profound. This qualitative study aims to explore the impact experienced by family caregivers who provide care to relatives with mental illness. A total of 15 family caregivers from the state of Kedah in Malaysia participated in this study. The findings indicated that the family caregivers experienced four types of negative impact, including financial burdens and social, psychological and physical health. This study suggests that the family caregivers should engage in support groups to obtain emotional support and the required information from other caregivers who have similar experiences in caring for individuals with mental illness.
Differential Reinforcement of Low Rate Schedules Reduce Severe Problem Behavior
Authors: Bonner Andrew C. , Borrero John C.
Published: September 2017

Differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate (DRL) schedules are reinforcement contingencies designed to reduce response rates. A common variation of the DRL arrangement is known as full-session DRL ( f-DRL), in which a reinforcer is presented at the end of an interval if the response rate during that interval is below a predetermined criterion. Prior human operant research involving arbitrary mouse clicks has shown that the f-DRL is likely to reduce target responding to near zero rates. Similarly, applied research has shown that the f-DRL is likely to reduce minimally disruptive classroom behavior. There are, however, relatively few successful applications of the f-DRL to severe forms of problem behavior (e.g., self-injurious behavior). Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of f-DRL on the severe problem behavior of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For four participants, the f-DRL reduced severe problem behavior by clinically significant levels. Furthermore, results of a contingency strength analysis showed a strong negative contingency strength between target responding and reinforcer delivery for all participants.
“Well, Heck”: Confounding Grace in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
Authors: Cook Trevor
Published: September 2017

Lawyers love to write about To Kill a Mockingbird, which they believe to have been written by one of their own, but as the recent publication of an early draft of Harper Lee’s best-selling novel reveals, there is more to her Pulitzer Prize-winning story of the American South than an exhilarating trial scene and an exemplary lawyer. This article attends to the importance of grace in the development of Lee’s artistic vision through a close reading of the novel’s morally compromised conclusion, where an incarnational ethic of love ultimately (though perhaps imperfectly) fulfills the purpose of the law.
A Poet’s Prophetic Vocation: The Historical, Dramatic, and Literary Trajectories of Dante Alighieri’s Ecclesial Criticism
Authors: Beckett Joshua
Published: September 2017

In his political writings, correspondence, and epic poetry, Dante Alighieri often assumed a prophetic posture. His self-understood vocation found primary expression in his direct, forceful criticism of the medieval Catholic Church, although the post hoc predictions and scriptural mimesis in which Dante engaged throughout his Commedia also funded his incisive ecclesial critique. This article discerns three trajectories of a Dantean prophetic vocation, which converge at key moments during the Commedia (particularly at Inferno XIX) to forge Dante, in all his rich complexity, into a prophet for his era.
Ecological Endings and Eschatology: Margaret Atwood’s Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
Authors: Bowen Deborah C.
Published: September 2017

The link between narrative and eschatology lies in their both dealing with “last things.” Ricoeur’s dictum that “the possible precedes the actual and clears the way for it” provides a powerful mandate for writers concerned with the danger of ecological endings. The endings of the novels in Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy not only articulate contemporary ecological sensibilities, but also, and more surprisingly, provide space for a religious way forward. Atwood’s recent connection to the Christian environmentalist group A Rocha presents a powerful instance of the possibilities for cooperation between agnostics and Christians in terms of hope for the planet.
Blake and Byron; or, Art and Imagination After the Second Fall
Authors: McGann Jerome
Published: September 2017

The connection between Blake and Byron is well known through Blake’s response to Byron’s Cain in his late engraved work The Ghost of Abel. But the filiations between these two commanding figures of English Romanticism goes out much further and in much deeper, and engages with some of the most important issues in doctrinal Christianity. The article gives a close study of their shared preoccupation with the politics, both psychic and historical, of guilt, retribution, atonement, and forgiveness and their respective, specifically imaginative, treatments of these subjects.
Corpus linguistics and language testing: Navigating uncharted waters
Authors: Egbert Jesse
Published: September 2017

The use of corpora and corpus linguistic methods in language testing research is increasing at an accelerated pace. The growing body of language testing research that uses corpus linguistic data is a testament to their utility in test development and validation. Although there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future of using corpus data in language testing, the convergence of these two fields introduces uncharted waters that should be traversed carefully to ensure that high standards of methodological rigor are maintained. The objectives of this paper are as follows: (1) to describe and evaluate the ways corpora and corpus data have been used in language testing to date; and (2) to offer recommendations for best practices to encourage rigorous and appropriate corpus linguistic methods for language testing purposes. This is accomplished with the aid of examples from papers in this special issue, as well as other previous work in this area. The future holds great promise for a useful methodological synergy between corpus linguistics and language testing. The choices researchers make as they navigate the uncharted and challenging waters that lie ahead will ultimately determine whether that potential is fully realized.
Using corpus linguistics to examine the extrapolation inference in the validity argument for a high-stakes speaking assessment
Authors: LaFlair Geoffrey T. , Staples Shelley
Published: September 2017

Investigations of the validity of a number of high-stakes language assessments are conducted using an argument-based approach, which requires evidence for inferences that are critical to score interpretation (Chapelle, Enright, & Jamieson, 2008b; Kane, 2013). The current study investigates the extrapolation inference for a high-stakes test of spoken English, the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) speaking task. This inference requires evidence that supports the inferential step from observations of what test takers can do on an assessment to what they can do in the target domain (Chapelle et al., 2008b; Kane, 2013). Typically, the extrapolation inference has been supported by evidence from a criterion measure of language ability. This study proposes an additional empirical method, namely corpus-based register analysis (Biber & Conrad, 2009), which provides a quantitative framework for examining the linguistic relationship between performance assessments and the domains to which their scores are extrapolated. This approach extends Bachman and Palmer’s (2010) focus on the target language use (TLU) domain analysis in their study of assessment use arguments by providing a quantitative approach for the study of language. We first explain the connections between corpus-based register analysis and TLU analysis. Second, an investigation of the MELAB speaking task compares the language of test-taker responses to the language of academic, professional, and conversational spoken registers, or TLU domains. Additionally, the language features at different performance levels within the MELAB speaking task are investigated to determine the relationship between test takers’ scores and their language use in the task. Following previous studies using corpus-based register analysis, we conduct a multi-dimensional (MD) analysis for our investigation. The comparison of the language features from the MELAB with the language of TLU domains revealed that support for the extrapolation inference varies across dimensions of language use.
The effect of N-acetylcysteine on brain glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid concentrations and on smoking cessation: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Schulte MHJ , Goudriaan AE , Kaag AM , Kooi DP , van den Brink W , Wiers RW , Schmaal L
Published: September 2017

Using data form a 14-day double-blind trial with 48 smokers randomized to either N-acetylcysteine (2400 mg) or placebo, we tested the effect of N-acetylcysteine on glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid concentrations in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and on smoking cessation. Smoking related behaviors and neurotransmitter concentrations in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex were assessed before and after treatment. Forty-seven non-smoking males served as baseline controls. Smokers showed higher baseline glutamate but similar gamma-aminobutyric acid concentrations than non-smokers. There were no treatment effects on dorsal anterior cingulate cortex neurotransmitter concentrations, smoking cessation, craving, or withdrawal symptoms. These results confirm glutamate disbalance in smokers, but not efficacy of N-acetylcysteine.
Higher prevalence of spontaneous cerebral vasculopathy and cerebral infarcts in a mouse model of sickle cell disease
Authors: Hyacinth Hyacinth I , Sugihara Courtney L , Spencer Thomas L , Archer David R , Shih Andy Y
Published: September 2017

Stroke is a dramatic complication of sickle cell disease (SCD), which is associated with cerebral vasculopathies including moya moya, intravascular thrombi, cerebral hyperemia, and increased vessel tortuosity. The spontaneous occurrence of these pathologies in the sickle cell mouse model has not been described. Here, we studied Townes humanized sickle cell and age-matched control mice that were 13 months old. We used in vivo two-photon microscopy to assess blood flow dynamics, vascular topology, and evidence of cerebral vasculopathy. Results showed that compared to controls, sickle cell mice had significantly higher red blood cell (RBC) velocity (0.73 mm/s vs. 0.55 mm/s, p = 0.013), capillary vessel diameter (4.84 µM vs. 4.50 µM, p = 0.014), and RBC volume flux (0.015 nL/s vs. 0.010 nL/s, p = 0.021). Also, sickle cell mice had significantly more tortuous capillary vessels ( p < 0.0001) and significantly shorter capillary vessel branches ( p = 0.0065) compared to controls. Sickle cell mice also had significantly higher number of capillary occlusive events (3.4% vs. 1.9%, p < 0.0001) and RBC stalls (3.8% vs. 2.1%, p < 0.0001) in the cerebral capillary bed. In post-mortem immunohistochemical analyses, sickle cell mice had a 2.5-fold higher frequency of cortical microinfarcts compared to control mice. Our results suggest that aged Townes sickle cell mice spontaneously develop SCD-associated cerebral vasculopathy.
Violence in the Rural Global South
Authors: Ceccato Vania , Ceccato Heloise
Published: September 2017

The aim of this article is to discuss the trends and nature of rural violence in Brazil. Assuming the hypothesis of an increase in violence rates, urban–rural violence rates are compared at three geographical levels: national (Brazil), state (São Paulo), and municipal (Rio Claro). The study combines the analyses of official statistics with newspaper reports, videos, and articles published by the national media. Findings indicate an increase in violence in rural areas in recent decades but such a rise is far from homogenous across the country; it shows links to patterns of population change, economic expansion, and organized crime. Although violence has long being an inherent characteristic of rural Brazil—a place of conflicts and struggles—it is argued here that the more recent rise in violence is distinct from the past, at least in its portrayal by the media. The article finalizes by suggesting a research agenda to improve the understanding of the dynamics of violence in the Brazilian context.
Preliminary Validation of the Teacher-Rated DESSA in a Low-Income, Kindergarten Sample
Authors: Doromal Justin B. , Cottone Elizabeth A. , Kim Helyn
Published: September 2017

This study investigated the measurement of social emotional competence in low-income youth by assessing the validity of responses derived from the widely used, teacher-rated Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). Based on the five-component social emotional learning model proposed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, the teacher-rated DESSA shows promise as an easy-to-administer, strengths-based assessment tool for teachers from low-income communities. In a sample of 313 kindergarten students from a southeastern city, three competing measurement models were tested (one-factor, correlated five-factor, and higher order five-factor) using confirmatory factor analyses. Results revealed that, relative to the one-factor model, the higher order five-factor framework had the best model-data fit, although the first-order factors were highly correlated with the second-order factor. Furthermore, zero-order correlations showed that the DESSA was associated with both direct and teacher-reported measures of school-related outcomes. Implications for practice and directions for future research are discussed.
Prognostic Value of Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Sánchez Fernández Iván , Morales-Quezada J. Leon , Law Samuel , Kim Paggie
Published: September 2017

Objective:

To quantify the prognostic value of neonatal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.

Methods:

Meta-analysis of studies with ≥35-week neonates with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy who underwent brain MRI within age 4 weeks and had neurodevelopmental follow-up for at least 12 months.

Results:

An abnormal neonatal brain MRI was more frequent among patients with unfavorable neurodevelopmental outcome: odds ratio = 18.2 (95% confidence interval: 9.4-34.9), P <.0001. The prognostic value of neonatal brain MRI in moderate hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy had an odds ratio of 17.7 (95% confidence interval: 5.3-59.3) and in severe hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, the odds ratio was 125.0 (95% confidence interval: 2.0-7917.1). Therapeutic hypothermia did not change the prognostic value of neonatal brain MRI (odds ratio for hypothermia, 14.0 [95% confidence interval: 3.1-63.6], vs no hypothermia, 18.1 [95% confidence interval: 10.0-33.1], P = .7525).

Conclusion:

Neonatal brain MRI provides prognostic information on outcome beyond early infancy in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and therapeutic hypothermia does not change its prognostic value.
Parental Concerns About Students’ Transition Into College: Substance Use and Sexual Assault
Authors: Vaughan Ellen L. , Limas Eleuterio F. , McKean Blackwell Nancy , Klann Elyssa M. , Robbins Melanie J.
Published: September 2017

Parents play an important role in the development of their college-bound children, including engagement in risk behaviors and associated consequences. Still, few studies have investigated parental concerns about their children’s transition into college. The aim of this study was to describe parental concerns about substance use and sexual assault and to test differences between parents of sons and parents of daughters in their levels of concern and communication. Data are from 450 parents of incoming students to a large, midwestern university. Parents responded to questions regarding their concerns about substance use and sexual assault. Results found that parents of sons are more concerned about substance use while parents of daughters are more concerned about sexual assault. Parents of daughters also communicate more about sexual assault than parents of sons. Finally, there was a positive relationship between relationship quality and communication about sexual assault. Implications for future research and the development of parent-based prevention are explored.
Comparative Patient Satisfaction and Feasibility of a Pilot Parkinson’s Disease Enrichment Program
Authors: Choudhury Tabina K. , Harris Celeste , Crist Kathleen , Satterwhite Terry K. , York Michele K.
Published: September 2017

Background:

Available treatment options for Parkinson's disease (PD) are primarily aimed at pharmacological and/or neurosurgical management of motor symptoms. However, many patients also experience chronic non-motor symptoms (NMS), including significant cognitive and mood changes. Currently, there is a gap in the neuropsychological literature regarding the efficacy of nonpharmacological treatment options for cognitive and mood changes in PD.

Objective:

We sought to evaluate the efficacy and patient satisfaction of a pilot nonpharmacological intervention for alleviating NMS in patients with PD.

Methods:

Twenty-three independently functioning nondemented patients with PD participated in a 5-week Parkinson’s Disease Enrichment Program. Each 4-hour weekly session included content which addressed the following components: education, exercise, recreation, and socialization/support. Participants received a pre-assessment, including cognitive tests and questionnaires for depression and quality of life. After the completion of the program, participants completed post-assessment batteries to measure changes in neurocognitive and psychiatric status, as well as patient satisfaction regarding the program.

Results:

Neuropsychological data from pre- and post-assessments revealed significant improvements in measures of executive functioning, memory, and depressive symptoms. No significant changes were observed on the remaining mood or cognitive measures. One hundred percent of participants reported enjoyment from socialization with other participants with PD and satisfaction with the program overall.

Conclusions:

Positive preliminary results suggest that further expansion of this nonpharmacological pilot program for treatment of NMS may be beneficial for patients with PD. Future studies will investigate a larger cohort of participants with PD and cross-validate findings in demographically diverse samples.
A Case Report of Tadalafil-Associated Fixed Drug Eruption
Authors: Chiu Ada W. , Stenstrom Robert
Published: September 2017

Tadalafil is a drug approved for use in erectile dysfunction, but increasingly being used recreationally. There have only been scant case reports on tadalafil causing fixed drug eruption (FDE). Patients who use tadalafil recreationally are less likely to seek medical attention and the diagnosis can often be missed, given the difficulty in diagnosis. However, clinical examination together with a detailed medication history can provide clinicians with good evidence of the association without invasive biopsies. We discuss a 37-year-old male who developed FDE after 2 separate exposures to tadalafil used for recreational purpose. The scar from the first reaction served as a landmark for the second exposure. His lesions resolved 2 days after the initial presentation. The Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale (score = 9) indicates a definite adverse drug reaction to tadalafil. We hope to raise awareness of this drug reaction with this case report.
Map collecting in the digital age
Authors: Fleet Chris , Hatfield Philip
Published: September 2017

The Legal Deposit Libraries (LDLs) of the United Kingdom and Ireland have recently started collecting born-digital mapping under the non-print legal deposit (NPLD) regulations that were passed in 2013. Since 1998, the LDLs have received born-digital mapping from the Ordnance Survey as part of a voluntary deposit arrangement, and so the implementation of NPLD legislation requires an evolution of systems already in development. This article will discuss how the LDLs have set out to develop a new platform for the display of legal deposit maps in their respective reading rooms, how the material received will be catalogued and archived, and the process by which publishers will be approached about new NPLD regulations.
The Role of Road Infrastructure and Air Pollution in the Recent Suburbanization of India’s Cities
Authors: Holian Matthew J. , Sridhar Kala Seetharam
Published: September 2017

This article re-examines the suburbanization of Indian cities by calculating population density gradients, for a large number of urban agglomerations, using recent data and Mills’ two-point method. In the next step, we estimate multiple regression models to explore the determinants of suburbanization. This study presents several methodological advances over previous research, by incorporating new measures of transport infrastructure, air pollution and city–suburb income ratios as determinants of suburbanization of Indian cities. Our results clearly show that suburbanization is higher in urban areas with higher population and lower central city–suburban literacy ratios. We find some evidence that suburbanization is higher in urban areas with more road transport infrastructure, consistent with our expectations, though results concerning air pollution run counter to expectations. However, these could relate to caveats regarding the data and methods.
Numerical analysis on thermo-mechanical behavior of shape memory alloy strip with two-way shape memory effect
Authors: Hao Lin , Qiu Jinhao , Ji Hongli , Nie Rui
Published: September 2017

Phenomenological modeling on thermo-mechanical response of shape memory alloy strip is presented in this article. Thermal response and transformation-accompanied deformation are described by the proposed model. The transformation expansion tensor is proposed to describe the relationship between the transformation-induced deformation of the strip and the temperature. Based on the fixed-point iterative method, the model is then implemented into ABAQUS using the user-defined subroutine. Finally, the proposed model is verified by the comparison between the finite element simulation and experiment on the thermo-mechanical responses of a shape memory alloy strip.
Perioperative Anesthetic Management of Patients Having Liver Transplantation for Uncommon Conditions
Authors: Bonavia Anthony , Pachuski Justin , Bezinover Dmitri
Published: September 2017

This review focuses on the perioperative anesthetic management of patients having liver transplantation (LT) performed for several uncommon indications or in combination with rare pathology. Conditions discussed in the article include Alagille syndrome, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, Gilbert’s syndrome, porphyria, Wilson’s disease, and Budd-Chiari syndrome. In comparison to other indications, LT in these settings is infrequent because of the low incidence of these pathologies. Most of these conditions (with the exception of Gilbert syndrome) are associated with a high probability of significant perioperative complications and increased mortality and morbidity. Experience in management of these unusual conditions is only gained over time. Developing clinical pathways for patients with these conditions should result in outcomes similar to LT performed for more common indications.
Application of the EMA Model to Tourism Entrepreneurs: Motivation as a Mediator
Authors: Crawford Alleah
Published: September 2017

This research uses the expectation, motivation, and attitude (EMA) model, originally developed for tourists/consumers, to provide a better understanding of what guides the actions of entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs have not been a focus in the hospitality literature therefore their desire to start the business, expectations about the business, and resulting attitudes are not fully understood. The study uses bed and breakfast entrepreneurs as the population and finds that motivation is a mediator of the relationship between expectations and attitudes. Additionally, using the model in this new setting, with a new population supports the model as providing the underlying relationships at work when the population investigated is expending resources for a desired outcome. The EMA model should continue to be used in future research.
Cultural Characteristics and Tourist Shopping Spending
Authors: Su Na , Min Hyounae , Chen Ming-Hsiang , Swanger Nancy
Published: September 2017

Although the cultural impact of tourism shopping has been extensively studied, prior research rarely related tourism shopping to specific cultural dimensions and distance, and tested the relationships statistically. This article fills this gap by investigating the comprehensive effects of Hofstede’s four cultural dimensions (power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance) and cultural distance on shopping. In an analysis of Hong Kong’s inbound tourism, panel regression tests support power distance and masculinity as two key cultural values in determining a country’s tourist shopping spending in a destination, while the effects of individualism and uncertainty avoidance are marginally significant. A U-shaped curvilinear relationship is found for cultural distance and shopping spending ratio, suggesting that tourists’ allocation of monetary resource on shopping decreases with cultural distance first and increases later after an optimal point. A discussion of contributions and limitations is included.
A Case of a Paediatric Patient With Allergic Contact Dermatitis to Benzoyl Peroxide
Authors: Sandre Matthew , Skotnicki-Grant Sandra
Published: September 2017

Allergic contact dermatitis to benzoyl peroxide can occur in up to 6.5% of those with a history of exposure to this potential allergen. Conversely, irritant contact dermatitis is very common with benzoyl peroxide and can be differentiated from allergic contact dermatitis based on the patient’s history and clinical signs and symptoms. We present a case of a paediatric patient with patch test–confirmed severe allergic contact dermatitis to benzoyl peroxide requiring hospitalisation and systemic treatment.
Longitudinal outcomes associated with significant other responses to chronic fatigue and pain
Authors: Schmaling Karen B , Fales Jessica L , McPherson Sterling
Published: September 2017

This study investigated significant others’ behavior associated with fatigue, pain, and mental health outcomes among 68 individuals with chronic fatigue (43% also had fibromyalgia) over 18 months. More negative significant others’ responses were associated with more pain, poorer physical and mental health, and more fatigue-related symptoms over time. More fibromyalgia tender points covaried with more solicitous significant others’ responses over time. Better mental health covaried with more distracting significant others’ responses over time. The results are discussed in terms of theoretical models of the role of perceived significant others’ responses on patient outcomes and recommendations for future research.
Critical Reflections on the Use of Bourdieu’s Tools ‘In Concert’ to Understand the Practices of Learning in Three Musical Sites
Authors: Stahl Garth , Burnard Pamela , Perkins Rosie
Published: September 2017

Bourdieu’s rich conceptual tools of habitus, capital, and field continue to be useful in multiple areas of sociological research; however, his tools take many shapes within his own writing and different disciplines. In this article, we reflect on our use of Bourdieu’s tools in order to enhance our understanding of how Bourdieu’s notion of ‘practice’ can be applied to practices of learning in sociological studies on music. Through comparisons of three separate studies (a secondary school, a conservatoire, and an industry), we employ a comparative method of analytic induction where we think critically about how we used Bourdieu’s tools in overlapping but analytically distinct ways. After exploring the extent to which Bourdieu’s tools proved productive, or not, to think with, we end with a concluding synthesis, which highlights the challenges associated with representing forms of Bourdieu’s ‘practice’ as they relate to and inhere in practices of learning.
The Experience of Zulu (Military) Time: An Examination of the Temporal Practices and Perceptions of UK Infantry
Authors: Hockey John
Published: September 2017

Organizational time remains an under-examined research area. This is particularly so in terms of analysis which combines workers temporal embodiment, temporal inter-embodiment, and collective temporal perceptions. These three social processes are portrayed using the case of the military organization and focus upon the temporal world of UK infantry via ethnographic data obtained from participant observation. Initially, the narrative examines the need for Zulu (military) time at the level of organizational structure. This is followed by a portrayal of how, within that structure, temporal embodiment and inter-embodiment are learnt and habituated, via practices such as parade ground and weapon training drills. Next, those same temporal processes are focused upon in the context of operational (combat) patrolling, and their manifestation within the practices of formations and tactics are examined. The narrative then moves on to examine collective temporal perceptions troops construct, which are focused upon issues of danger, safety, and identity. The account concludes with a call for organizational time both civilian and military to be given much more attention by sociological researchers particularly at the level of embodied practices.
A Semiautomated Method for Measuring the 3-Dimensional Fabric to Renal Artery Distances to Determine Endograft Position After Endovascular Aneurysm Repair
Authors: Schuurmann Richte C. L. , Overeem Simon P. , Ouriel Kenneth , Slump Cornelis H. , Jordan William D. , Muhs Bart E. , de Vries Jean-Paul P. M.
Published: September 2017

Purpose: To report a methodology for 3-dimensional (3D) assessment of the stent-graft deployment accuracy after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Methods: A methodology was developed and validated to calculate the 3D distances between the endograft fabric and the renal arteries over the curve of the aorta. The shortest distance between one of the renal arteries and the fabric (SFD) and the distance from the contralateral renal artery to the fabric (CFD) were determined on the first postoperative computed tomography (CT) scan of 81 elective EVAR patients. The SFDs were subdivided into a target position (0–3 mm distal to the renal artery), high position (partially covering the renal artery), and low position (>3 mm distal to the renal artery). Data are reported as the median (interquartile range, IQR). Results: Intra- and interobserver agreements for automatic and manual calculation of the SFD and CFD were excellent (ICC >0.892, p<0.001). The median SFD was 1.4 mm (IQR −0.9, 3.0) and the median CFD was 8.0 mm (IQR 3.9, 14.2). The target position was achieved in 44%, high position in 30%, and low position in 26% of the patients. The median slope of the endograft toward the higher renal artery was 2.5° (IQR −5.5°, 13.9°). Conclusion: The novel methodology using 3D CT reconstructions enables accurate evaluation of endograft position and slope within the proximal aortic neck. In this series, only 44% of endografts were placed within the target position with regard to the lowermost renal artery.
A Clustered Randomized Trial of an Educational Intervention During Transplant Evaluation to Increase Knowledge of Living Donor Kidney Transplant
Authors: Weng Francis L. , Peipert John D. , Holland Bart K. , Brown Diane R. , Waterman Amy D.
Published: September 2017

Introduction:

Maximizing education about living donor kidney transplant (LDKT) during the in-person evaluation at the transplant center may increase the numbers of kidney patients pursuing LDKT.

Research Questions and Design:

To test the effectiveness of a 1-time LDKT educational intervention, we performed a cluster-randomized trial among 499 patients who presented for evaluation of kidney transplant. We compared usual care education (n = 250) versus intensive LDKT education (n = 249), which was implemented only on the evaluation day and consisted of viewing a 25-minute video of information and stories about LDKT and discussion of LDKT possibilities with an educator. Our primary outcome was knowledge of LDKT, 1 week after the transplant evaluation.

Results:

One week after evaluation, patients who received intensive education had higher knowledge than patients who received usual care (12.7 vs. 11.7; P = .0008), but there were no differences in postevaluation readiness for LDKT. Among patients who had not previously identified a potential living donor, receiving intensive education was associated with increased willingness to take steps toward LDKT.

Discussion:

In conclusion, expansion of LDKT education within the evaluation day may be helpful, but interventions that are implemented at multiple times and for greater duration may be necessary to ensure larger and long-term behavioral changes in pursuit of LDKT.
A virtual myoelectric prosthesis training system capable of providing instructions on hand operations
Authors: Nakamura Go , Shibanoki Taro , Kurita Yuichi , Honda Yuichiro , Masuda Akito , Mizobe Futoshi , Chin Takaaki , Tsuji Toshio
Published: September 2017

This article proposes a virtual hand and a virtual training system for controlling the MyoBock—the most commonly used myoelectric prosthetic hand worldwide. As the virtual hand is controlled using the method also adopted for the MyoBock hand, the proposed system provides upper-limb amputees with operation sensibilities similar to those experienced in MyoBock control. It can also display an additional virtual hand for the provision of instructions on hand operation, such as the recommended posture for object grasping and the trajectory desirable to reach a target. In virtual hand control experiments conducted with an amputee to evaluate the proposed virtual hand’s operability, the subject successfully performed stable opening and closing with high discrimination rates (89.3±6.65%), thanks to the virtual hand’s incorporation of the MyoBock’s operational characteristics. A training experiment using the proposed system was also conducted with eight healthy participants over a period of 5 days. The participants were asked to perform the box and block test using the MyoBock hand in a real environment on the first and final days. The results showed that the number of blocks transported in 1 min significantly increased and that the participants using the instruction virtual hand changed the orientation of the hand approaching blocks from vertical to lateral. The outcomes of the experiment indicate that the proposed system can be used to improve MyoBock hand control operation both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Joint torque and velocity optimization for a redundant leg of quadruped robot
Authors: Zhang Taihui , An Honglei , Ma Hongxu
Published: September 2017

Hydraulic actuated quadruped robot similar to BigDog has two primary performance requirements, load capacity and walking speed, so that it is necessary to balance joint torque and joint velocity when designing the dimension of single leg and controlling its motion. On the one hand, because there are three joints per leg on sagittal plane, it is necessary to firstly optimize the distribution of torque and angular velocity of every joint on the basis of their different requirements. On the other hand, because the performance of hydraulic actuator is limited, it is significant to keep the joint torque and angular velocity in actuator physical limitations. Therefore, it is essential to balance the joint torque and angular velocity which have negative correlation under the condition of constant power of the hydraulic actuator. The main purpose of this article is to optimize the distribution of joint torques and velocity of a redundant single leg with joint physical limitations. Firstly, a modified optimization criterion combining joint torques with angular velocity that takes both support phase and flight phase into account is proposed, and then the modified optimization criterion is converted into a normal quadratic programming problem. A kind of recurrent neural network is used to solve the quadratic program problem. This method avoids tremendous matrix inversion and fits for time-varying system. The achieved optimized distribution of joint torques and velocity is useful for aiding mechanical design and the following motion control. Simulation results presented in this article confirm the efficiency of this optimization algorithm.
A fair electronic payment system for digital content using elliptic curve cryptography
Authors: Kang Baoyuan , Shao Dongyang , Wang Jiaqiang
Published: September 2017

With rapid development of information and communication technologies purchasing digital content through the Internet has been greatly increased. Therefore, secure and fair electronic payment systems are important issue. To reduce system computational, communication and storage costs in many existing electronic schemes, Yang et al. recently proposed a novel electronic payment system based on authenticated encryption technology. But, Chaudhry et al. showed that Yang et al.'s electronic payment system is vulnerable to impersonation attack. Furthermore, Chaudhry et al. proposed improved electronic payment system. But, in this paper we point that Chaudhry et al.'s improved electronic payment system does not satisfy anonymity and fairness properties and the dispute resolution means in Chaudhry et al.'s electronic payment system are not effective. Furthermore, combining authenticated encryption and verifiably encrypted signatures technologies, we propose an improvement on Chaudhry et al.'s electronic payment system. Compared with Chaudhry et al.'s electronic payment system, the major changes of the proposed electronic payment system are in exchange phase. In this phase the private key and public key of the user are not needed, and the user generates verifiably encrypted signatures on his payment voucher. These changes guarantee the user anonymity, eliminate the advantages of the merchant, ensure the fairness of the payment system and the effectiveness of the dispute resolution phase. We also give the comparisons of proposed electronic payment system with some existing electronic payment systems.
Exploring democracy and violence in Burundi: A multi-methodical analysis of hegemonic discourses on Twitter
Authors: Dimitrakopoulou Dimitra , Boukala Salomi
Published: September 2017

Burundi has garnered international headlines since April 2015 insofar as the country entered a serious political crisis and fell into conflict. The utilization of social media by the leadership amid the chaos and the lack of studies regarding the top-down uses of social media prompted the authors to explore the Twitter usage by the Burundian presidency and the presidency’s spokesperson. The authors’ research is developed through three main research areas that interact and inform each other: hegemonic discourses on democracy and elections; hegemonic discourses on violence and conflict; and hegemonic discourses on foreign media representations. By employing quantitative content analysis and the Discourse Historical Approach, they intend to present an in-depth analysis of the Twitter accounts of the Burundian presidency and the presidency’s spokesperson as an arena of institutional communication and hegemonic struggle. They first briefly review the conflict under study and present main concepts that dominate this article such as discourse and hegemony. Thereafter, they present their interdisciplinary approach as an adequate methodology to analyse, understand and explain the intricate complexities of hegemonic discourse that may evolve on social media. Finally, they proceed to the analysis of the most characteristic tweets to illustrate the significance of their interdisciplinary approach to the study of Twitter.
Individual Differences in Activation of the Parental Care Motivational System: An Empirical Distinction Between Protection and Nurturance
Authors: Hofer Marlise K. , Buckels Erin E. , White Cindel J. M. , Beall Alec T. , Schaller Mark
Published: September 2017

Previous research reveals that individual differences in parental caregiving motives have implications (among both parents and nonparents) for a wide range of psychological outcomes. Here we report reanalyses of existing data sets to examine the extent to which these outcomes are uniquely predicted by two conceptually distinct factors underlying the parental caregiving motive: protection and nurturance. In doing so, we also psychometrically validate a brief self-report measure designed to efficiently assess individual differences in protection and nurturance. Results reveal that individual differences in parental protection uniquely predict a specific subset of attitudes and judgments (e.g., endorsement of restrictive parenting practices, harsher moral judgments of adults who violate social norms), whereas individual differences in parental nurturance uniquely predict a different subset of attitudes and judgments (e.g., nonparents desire to have children, preferences for committed romantic partners, more lenient moral judgments of children who violate social norms).
Foreign-Looking Native-Accented People: More Competent When First Seen Rather Than Heard
Authors: Hansen Karolina , Rakić Tamara , Steffens Melanie C.
Published: September 2017

Psychological research has neglected people whose accent does not match their appearance. Most research on person perception has focused on appearance, overlooking accents that are equally important social cues. If accents were studied, it was often done in isolation (i.e., detached from appearance). We examine how varying accent and appearance information about people affects evaluations. We show that evaluations of expectancy-violating people shift in the direction of the added information. When a job candidate looked foreign, but later spoke with a native accent, his evaluations rose and he was evaluated best of all candidates (Experiment 1a). However, the sequence in which information was presented mattered: When heard first and then seen, his evaluations dropped (Experiment 1b). Findings demonstrate the importance of studying the combination and sequence of different types of information in impression formation. They also allow predicting reactions to ethnically mixed people, who are increasingly present in modern societies.
Just a Snap
Authors: Spinda John S. W. , Puckette Stephen
Published: September 2017

Employing a uses-and-gratifications approach, we examined the motives for following sports using the social media application Snapchat (version 9 [9.27.5.0 iOS/9.20.6.0] Andr). In Step 1 of the study, participant provided narratives ( n = 49) about their motivations for using Snapchat to follow sports. In Step 2, an online survey asked participants ( N = 263) to respond to 39 motive statements gleaned from narratives obtained in Step 1 as well as measures of points of attachment (POA), overall time spent viewing a variety of sports, and to rank the importance of various social media channels. Overall, four motives for using Snapchat to follow sports were conceptualized across 21 items (i.e., ease and convenience, behind the scenes, vicarious experience, unique points of view). Next, using regression analyses, we found that age, POA, social media preferences, and different sports viewed predicted motives for using Snapchat to follow sports to varying degrees. Theoretical implications and considerations for future research are also discussed.
New Partner Recruitment to Rural Versus Urban Ob-Gyn Practices
Authors: Fialkow Michael F. , Snead Carrie M. , Schulkin Jay
Published: September 2017

Purpose:

The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the recruitment efforts of practicing obstetrics and gynecology (ob-gyns) from rural and urban practices.

Method:

The authors surveyed practicing ob-gyns from 5 states in the Pacific Northwest in 2016 about their background, practice setting, practice profile, partner recruitment, and retention.

Results:

Seventy-three patients completed the study (53.2% response rate). Thirty-seven percent of respondents work in an urban practice and 43% have a rural practice, with the remainder in a suburban setting. A majority of the respondents attempted to recruit a new partner in the past 5 years. Respondents were most interested in experience and diversity in new recruits. Urban respondents, however, were more interested in hiring those with specialized skills (χ2 = 7.842, P = .02) than rural providers who were more interested in partners familiar with their community (χ2= 7.153, P = .03). Reasons most often cited to leave their practice were reimbursement, limited social/marital options, and workload, other than rural providers who more often also cited lack of access to specialty care (χ2= 13.256, P = .001). Rural providers were more likely to cite marital and family status as an advantage to recruitment, whereas urban and suburban providers were more often neutral.

Conclusions:

Reduced access to care has led to significant health disparities for women living in rural communities. Understanding which providers are most likely to be successful in these settings might help preserve access as our health-care systems evolves.
Impact of a Pediatric Cardiology Clinical Program on Congenital Heart Disease Outcomes in Guyana
Authors: Isaac Debra , Nagesh Vikhashni , Bell Alexandra , Soto Rodrigo , Seepersaud Marisa , Myers Kimberley , Zahir Saif
Published: September 2017

Background: Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) in Guyana have not historically been managed with timely intervention, increasing the likelihood of serious, irreversible complications. In 2014, a pediatric cardiology clinical program (Guyana Paediatric Cardiology Steering Committee [GPCSC]) and partnership with International Children’s Heart Foundation (BabyHeart) was developed to improve CHD care. Objectives: To describe the characteristics of CHD in Guyanese children and to determine the impact of GPCSC on CHD outcomes. Methods: Qualitative comparison between CHD patients sent for surgery prior to GPCSC (pre-GPCSC cohort) and those managed through GPCSC (post-GPCSC cohort). Findings: Eighty-eight pre-GPHC patients were identified from 2005 to 2014. A total of 319 CHD patients were referred post-GPCSC. In all, 114 patients required surgical or catheterization procedures, with 74 patients prioritized for interventions within 29 months post-GPCSC. Mean age at surgery was 77 months in both cohorts, with younger children represented in the post-GPCSC cohort. Postoperative follow-up was more frequent post-GPCSC (100% vs 35%). Vital status of 48% of pre-GPCSC patients is unknown, with more pre-GPCSC patients known to be deceased compared with post-GPCSC (9% vs 5%). Pre-GPCSC patients had more incorrect diagnosis and inoperable disease when sent for surgery. Interpretation: Patients undergoing surgery post-GPCSC had more appropriate and timely interventions, better follow-up, and increased survival. The feasibility and positive impact of this collaborative pediatric cardiology clinical program in Guyana is demonstrated, with potential applicability for other low- and middle-income countries. Obstacles to referral of children with CHD in Guyana can begin to be addressed, with the goal of more complete access to timely intervention, and improved outcomes for these children.