bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of a transient gas dynamic model for the simulation of pulsation in reciprocating compressor piping systems
Authors: Zhan Liu , Duan Zhenya
Published: October 2017

The subject of this paper is to develop a nonlinear transient dynamic model for simulating the pressure pulsation in reciprocating compressor piping systems. The model allows the interaction between the piping response and compressor processes. The two-step Lax–Wendroff method is employed to obtain solutions to the unsteady flow equations at internal points in a pipe, and the Trapezoidal version of the method of characteristics is adopted for handling boundary conditions. The compressor, which serves as a boundary condition for predicting the piping's pressure pulsation, is modeled comprehensively on the basis of the first law of thermodynamics, the valve dynamics assumed as a one-degree-of-freedom system and the flow through valve by introducing an effective area for flow through the valve throat. It is worth to note that, to solve the compressor boundary condition, all the related equations are necessary to be solved simultaneously to obtain the pulsating pressure in the pipe end, pressure variation in the cylinder, valve response, mass flow rate, indicated power, and other compressor performance parameters. Numerical results based on these proposed modeling techniques show a good agreement with previous measured data.
HIV testing among male partners of pregnant women in Nigeria: a missing link in the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
Authors: Olakunde Babayemi O , Adeyinka Daniel A , Oladele Tolulope , Ozigbu Chamberline E
Published: October 2017

In this study, we assessed male partner testing and the serodiscordance rate among pregnant women and their partners in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programme in Nigeria. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the consolidated national health sector PMTCT data over a five-year period (2012–2016). Over the period, a total of 11,833,062 pregnant women were tested for HIV with a positivity rate of 2.2%. About 266,188 (2.2%) of sexual partners of pregnant women who presented at PMTCT clinics had an HIV test within the period. The uptake of male partner testing varied across the years, ranging from 22,269 (1.7%) in 2012 to 90,603 (2.9%) in 2014 (χ2 for trend = 1320; p < 0.001). Overall, the proportion of partners of HIV-negative pregnant women who tested was higher than the proportion of partners of HIV-positive pregnant women (81% versus 19%, respectively). The serodiscordance rate among partners who tested over the five-year period was 18%. The serodiscordance rate declined from 24% in 2012 to 13% in 2016 (χ2 for trend = 1202; p < 0.001). Partner testing in the PMTCT programme in Nigeria has remained low in the last five years while the clinic-based serodiscordance rate among partners appears to be declining. There is a need for multilevel interventions to address the possible barriers to partner testing in the PMTCT programme and intensification of the HIV combination prevention approach in the HIV response.
Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 as biomarkers for lupus nephritis in Colombian SLE patients
Authors: Gómez-Puerta J A , Ortiz-Reyes B , Urrego T , Vanegas-García A L , Muñoz C H , González L A , Cervera R , Vásquez G
Published: October 2017

Background

Information regarding urinary biomarkers in Mestizo and Afro-Latin-American patients is very limited. We investigated whether levels of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) are good biomarkers to differentiate patients with lupus nephritis among Latin-American systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

Methods

SLE patients meeting the revised American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for SLE were recruited. Urinary levels of NGAL and MCP-1 were measured using a commercial ELISA kit. Serum anti-C1q antibodies were measured by ELISA. SLE activity was measured with the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI). Mann–Whitney tests were used to compare data and Spearman’s rank correlations were used to examine associations between continuous variables. In addition, receiver operating characteristic curves were performed.

Results

One hundred and twenty SLE patients were recruited (87% women) with a median age of 32.8 ± 12.1 years and median disease duration of 7.3 ± 6.9 years. Afro-Latin-Americans had a significantly higher prevalence of lupus nephritis and higher SLEDAI scores than Mestizos. The three biomarkers were significantly higher in patients with lupus nephritis than in patients without lupus nephritis. In addition, urinary NGAL and MCP-1 were significantly higher in patients with active lupus nephritis than in inactive lupus nephritis. Urinary NGAL levels were significantly higher in Afro-Latin-American patients. A receiver operating characteristic curve for urinary biomarkers for lupus nephritis in all SLE patients showed a good level of sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusion

In our cohort of SLE patients, we found that urinary NGAL and MCP-1 in addition to anti-C1q antibodies were useful biomarkers for the identification of renal involvement and discrimination of active lupus nephritis among patients with renal disease.
Distributed Ownership in Music
Authors: Aguilar Ananay
Published: October 2017

Following criticisms of British copyright law that it is influenced by Romantic ideals of authorship, I ask whether it makes sense to distinguish between music composers and performers in law. Drawing on interviews with classical and popular music performers and relevant case law, I examine how performers negotiate and exploit different rights in order to determine ownership. Evidence suggests that rather than a binary, musicians’ creative work can best be represented as moving along a continuum between composition and performance with both concepts socially much in use. Musicians position their work on this continuum according to three motifs: composer–performer discourses and careers, genre and power relationships. I argue that the legal categories of joint or individual authorship, adaptation and performance protect most contributions to a musical work and align with the social understandings of different types of contributions. Yet I also note that, viewed more normatively, a recasting of the rights could help shift those social understandings and alter the inequalities inherent in both musical practices and the law.
The Private Sector and India’s Agricultural Transformation
Authors: Ferroni Marco , Zhou Yuan
Published: October 2017

There is often ambivalence about the private sector in agriculture. But successful agricultural growth and transformations are inconceivable without a dynamic private sector serving and driving agriculture, farming, and agri-food value chains. The private sector plays decisive roles in India’s agricultural transformation today, fostering productivity improvements and creating jobs and value in supply chains “from farm to fork.” This is a relatively new phenomenon, made possible by the economic reforms of the early 1990s and policy changes since then. There remains much to do. Government is challenged to offer the required enabling, regulatory, and institutional support.
Case formulation using Pattern-based Formulation (PBF) methodology: clinical case 2
Authors: Fernando Irosh , Rajasooriya Mahesh
Published: October 2017

Objectives:

To teach psychiatric case formulation; to build a repertoire of patterns that can be reused as building blocks in constructing case formulations.

Method:

Pattern-based Formulation.

Results:

Demonstration of a case formulation and introducing three patterns.

Conclusion:

The demonstration will assist learning case formulation using the Pattern-based Formulation, while the three patterns introduced can be reused when formulating relevant cases.
How, Why, and When High-Involvement Work Systems Are Related to OCB: A Multilevel Examination of the Mediating Role of POS and of the Moderating Role of Organizational Structures
Authors: Tremblay Michel
Published: October 2017

Drawing on signaling and social exchange theories, we proposed and tested a multilevel model of antecedents of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). More specifically, this article examines how, why, and when high-involvement work systems (HIWS) are related to employee and team citizenship behaviors. Using a sample of 568 respondents in 46 teams, our results indicate that HIWS are directly and indirectly related to team-level OCB through the team perceived organizational support (POS) climate. Structure was found to act as a significant internal contextual factor. More specifically, we found that decentralization and formalization foster the positive link between HIWS and POS, while the indirect relationship between HIWS and team-level OCB through POS was weaker when the degree of formalization was low, and stronger when this structure element was high. Finally, consistent with Ehrhart and Naumann’s group norms theory of OCB, team-level OCB was positively related to employee OCB, regardless of whether task interdependence is high or low. This study contributes to the understanding of processes and contextual conditions through which teams and employee citizenship behavior are related to HIWS.
Minority Groups and Judicial Legitimacy: Group Affect and the Incentives for Judicial Responsiveness
Authors: Zilis Michael A.
Published: October 2017

This paper introduces a new perspective into the literature on judicial legitimacy by examining the incentives for courts to cater to a popular majority and offering a novel model of legitimacy that has consequences for judicial responsiveness. The account integrates into the literature classic research on how strategic social groups shape public opinion. I theorize that citizens use their perceptions of the judiciary’s support for various social groups as a means to assess the institution overall. From this insight, I derive specific expectations about the conditions under which the Supreme Court’s protection of minority groups like gays and immigrants can damage its legitimacy. Using national survey data, I demonstrate that dislike for the beneficiaries of recent Court rulings systematically diminishes the institution’s legitimacy. The influence of these group-based considerations shapes individual-level attitude change and can be observed at various points in time.
Distance Between the Anterior Distal Tibial Edge and the Anterior Tibial Artery in Distraction and Nondistraction During Anterior Ankle Arthroscopy: A Cadaveric Study
Authors: Tonogai Ichiro , Hayashi Fumio , Tsuruo Yoshihiro , Sairyo Koichi
Published: October 2017

Background:

Anterior ankle arthroscopy is widely applied for various osteoarthropathies. However, distraction of the ankle may put the anterior tibial artery (ATA) at risk of injury during the procedure. The purpose of this study was to assess the difference in the distance between the anterior distal tibial edge and the ATA in distraction and nondistraction of the ankle with joint space expansion by saline injection into the joint.

Methods:

Eight whole fresh-frozen cadaveric feet (mean age 78.9 years) were used. Barium sulfate suspension was injected into the popliteal artery of each specimen, and the distance from 3 aspects of the anterior distal tibial edge to the ATA was measured to evaluate the possibility of damage to the ATA based on computed tomography (CT) scans, in ankle distraction and nondistraction, using a traction device developed for reproducible ankle positioning inside the CT scanner.

Results:

The distance between the ATA and the most proximal, middle, and distal parts of the anterior distal tibial edge was 0.5 mm, 3.9 mm, and 7.4 mm, respectively, without saline injection, and 3.7 mm, 7.2 mm, and 11.6 mm, respectively, with saline injection, in nondistraction. The distance was 2.2 mm, 5.9 mm, and 9.8 mm, respectively, with 5-kg distraction, and 1.7 mm, 5.1 mm, and 8.8 mm, respectively, with 10-kg distraction, both with saline injection, respectively.

Conclusion:

The distance between the anterior distal tibial edge and the ATA with joint space expansion by saline injection into the joint increased, and that distance in distraction of the ankle decreased during anterior arthroscopic surgery.

Clinical Relevance:

The anatomic relationship of the ATA to its surrounding structures may be at more risk without saline injection or with distraction during anterior ankle arthroscopy.
The Measurement and Role of Ecological Resilience Systems Theory Across Domain-Specific Outcomes: The Domain-Specific Resilient Systems Scales
Authors: Maltby John , Day Liz , Hall Sophie S. , Chivers Sally
Published: October 2017

Research suggests that trait resilience may be best understood within an ecological resilient systems theory, comprising engineering, ecological, and adaptive capacity resilience. However, there is no evidence as to how this theory translates to specific life domains. Data from two samples (the United States, n = 1,278; the United Kingdom, n = 211) facilitated five studies that introduce the Domain-Specific Resilient Systems Scales for assessing ecological resilient systems theory within work, health, marriage, friendships, and education. The Domain-Specific Resilient Systems Scales are found to predict unique variance in job satisfaction, lower job burnout, quality-of-life following illness, marriage commitment, and educational engagement, while controlling for factors including sex, age, personality, cognitive ability, and trait resilience. The findings also suggest a distinction between the three resilience dimensions in terms of the types of systems to which they contribute. Engineering resilience may contribute most to life domains where an established system needs to be maintained, for example, one’s health. Ecological resilience may contribute most to life domains where the system needs sustainability in terms of present and future goal orientation, for example, one’s work. Adaptive Capacity may contribute most to life domains where the system needs to be retained, preventing it from reaching a crisis state, for example, work burnout.
Pilot study to evaluate the potential use of the renal resistive index as a preliminary diagnostic tool for chronic kidney disease in cats
Authors: Matos Ines , Azevedo Pedro , Carreira L Miguel
Published: October 2017

Objectives

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the most common renal pathology diagnosed in geriatric cats, and its prevalence increases with age. The arterial resistive index (RI) is important when evaluating vascular resistance and compliance, and can be applied in the kidney (renal RI [RRI]), allowing the evaluation of its vascular haemodynamics. The present study aimed to: (1) investigate in cats with CKD the relationships between the RRI and the following parameters: age, sex, body weight, plasmatic creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, potassium, urine specific gravity, urine protein:creatinine ratio and systolic arterial pressure; and (2) evaluate the potential use of the RRI as a preliminary diagnostic tool in cats with CKD.

Methods

The present study involved 24 cats of both sexes. Six were healthy cats (control group [CG]) and 18 had CKD, but did not have any concomitant diseases and were not being treated with any medications (study group [SG]). For RRI measurement we used colour Doppler ultrasound (CDUS).

Results

RRI differed significantly between the CG and SG ( P <0.01) and was higher in the SG. A statistically significant correlation was only achieved between the RRI and the body weight of the patients and it was negative. A strong and positive correlation was noted between the mean RRI of both kidneys (r = 0.66). Receiver–operating curve analysis allowed us to establish an admissible cut-off for the RRI value of 0.639 for a preliminary diagnosis of CKD for both kidneys.

Conclusions and relevance

No differences were found for the RRI between the left and right kidneys, suggesting that evaluation of only one kidney is sufficient to provide an estimate of the RRI value for both organs. RRI measurement, which can be achieved with CDUS, is an easy-to-use diagnostic tool that, with a cut-off value of 0.639 for both kidneys, is useful in establishing a preliminary diagnosis of CKD.
Dispositional mindfulness as a moderator between perceived stress and psychological symptoms in Chinese digestive tract cancer patients
Authors: Zhong Mengyu , Goh Pei Hwa , Li Di , Bao Junyi , Xu Wei
Published: October 2017

Mindfulness has been garnering increased attention within the area of clinical psychology due to its theorized and empirical associations with psychological well-being. Using a sample of patients diagnosed with digestive tract cancer ( N = 292), we examined the relationship between perceived stress and psychological symptoms at varying levels of dispositional mindfulness. Results showed significant associations between perceived stress and psychological symptoms. More importantly, the relationship between perceived stress and psychological symptoms was only significant for patients with low, but not high, levels of dispositional mindfulness. Implications and future research directions were discussed.
Restricted reproductive rights and risky sexual behaviour: How political disenfranchisement relates to women’s sense of control, well-being and sexual health
Authors: Msetfi Rachel , Jay Sarah , O’Donnell Aisling T , Kearns Michelle , Kinsella Elaine L , McMahon Jennifer , Muldoon Orla T , Naughton Catherine , Creaven Ann-Marie
Published: October 2017

Few studies have investigated the role of disenfranchisement and denial of agency in women’s sexual health. To address this, a cross-sectional study of disenfranchisement, control (general and reproductive control) and health was conducted in Ireland, where abortion is severely restricted. Multiple mediation models ( N = 513 women) indicated that general but not reproductive control mediates the association between disenfranchisement and psychological well-being. Additionally, serial mediation shows disenfranchisement is associated with lower sense of control, which is linked to poorer well-being and risky sexual behaviour. Disenfranchisement arising from socio-political contexts may have important implications for women’s sexual health.
The effect of assembling location on the performance of precast concrete beam under impact load
Authors: Yan Qiushi , Sun Bowen , Liu Xuemei , Wu Jun
Published: October 2017

With incorporation of assembling joints, precast concrete beams could behave very differently in resisting both static and dynamic loads in comparison to conventional reinforced concrete beams. With no research available on the dynamic behavior of precast concrete beams under impact load, a combined experimental and numerical study is conducted to investigate the dynamic response of precast concrete beams under impact load. The results were also compared with reinforced concrete beams. Four groups of concrete beams were tested with all beams designed with the same reinforcement, but different assembling locations were considered for precast concrete beams. The effects of the assembling location in resisting drop weight impact of precast concrete beams were analyzed. The influence of impact mass and impact velocity on the impact resistance of precast concrete beams were also investigated. The results revealed that the further the assembling location is away from the impact location, the closer the mechanical performance of the precast concrete beam is to that of the reinforced concrete beam. When the assembling location and the impact location coincided, the assembling region suffered from severe local damages. With increased impact velocity and impact energy, the damage mode of the precast concrete beams may change gradually from bending failure to bending–shear failure and eventually to local failure. In addition, the bonding around the assembling interface was found to be effective to resist drop weight impact load regardless of the magnitude of the impact velocity and energy.
Non-representational news: An intervention into pseudo-events
Authors: Parks Perry
Published: October 2017

This article introduces a journalistic intervention into routinized political ‘pseudo-events’ that can lull reporters and citizens into stultified complacency about public affairs while facilitating highly disciplined politicians’ cynical messaging. The intervention draws on non-representational theory, a style of research that aims to disrupt automatic routines and encourage people to recognize possibilities for change from moment to moment. The article details the author’s coverage of a routine political rally from a perspective untethered to normalized journalistic or political cues of importance, to generate affective and possibly unpredictable responses to the content.
Do interactive learning spaces increase student achievement? A comparison of classroom context
Authors: Vercellotti Mary Lou
Published: October 2017

Research on interactive learning space classrooms has reported that instructors and students find them engaging, and engagement is expected to increase learning outcomes. Positive findings about interactive classrooms, though, are often confounded with active learning pedagogy since instructors who teach in interactive classrooms tend to also promote active learning pedagogy. More research is needed to tease apart learning gains from the instructional design, classroom context, and the related incorporation of technology. This study examined the relationship between learning gains and classroom context (traditional and interactive learning space) in a pretest/posttest design and reviewed student survey responses about learning experiences. Participants were enrolled in one of two sections of a course. Both groups were taught by the same instructor using active learning pedagogy with the same activities, materials, and assignments. The results showed that classroom context did not result in differences in students learning overall. Some findings pointing to subtle differences, however, indicate that the interactive classroom could have made the classroom instruction more effective and efficient.
The two faces of personhood: Hobbes, corporate agency and the personality of the state
Authors: Fleming Sean
Published: October 2017

There is an important but underappreciated ambiguity in Hobbes’ concept of personhood. In one sense, persons are representatives or actors. In the other sense, persons are representees or characters. An estate agent is a person in the first sense; her client is a person in the second. This ambiguity is crucial for understanding Hobbes’ claim that the state is a person. Most scholars follow the first sense of ‘person’, which suggests that the state is a kind of actor – in modern terms, a ‘corporate agent’. I argue that Hobbes’ state is a person only in the second sense: a character rather than an actor. If there are any primitive corporate agents in Hobbes’ political thought, they are representative assemblies, not states or corporations. Contemporary political theorists and philosophers tend to miss what is unique and valuable about Hobbes’ idea of state personality because they project the idea of corporate agency onto it.
Effects of Theory-Based Behavioral Interventions on Physical Activity Among Overweight and Obese Female Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Rossi Amerigo , Friel Ciarán , Carter Leeja , Garber Carol Ewing
Published: October 2017

Purpose. To determine whether theory-based physical activity (PA) interventions for overweight and obese female cancer survivors lead to increased PA and improved health. Methods. This systematic review examined randomized controlled trials analyzing the impact of theory-based PA interventions on overweight and obese female cancer survivors through December 2016. Searches of 5 electronic databases revealed 10 articles that included 1351 participants who met the inclusion criteria. Results. Participants were primarily non-Hispanic white (74%-100%) breast or endometrial cancer survivors. Intervention characteristics and PA assessment tools varied greatly. Adherence (68%-99%) and retention (79%-100%) were relatively high. Social cognitive theory was utilized as the theoretical construct in 9 of the 10 studies. Home-based interventions led to small improvements in PA (Cohen’s d range = 0.25-0.31), whereas home-based plus center-based interventions led to moderate to large improvements (Cohen’s d range = 0.45-1.02). Only three of the studies assessed psychosocial behavioral processes associated with PA, and the results were mixed. Health-related outcomes included improvements in aerobic fitness (Cohen’s d = 0.32-1.1 in 5 studies), large absolute decreases in waist circumferences (>6 cm in 3 of 5 studies; Cohen’s d = −0.31 to −1.02), and no change in inflammatory biomarkers (in 2 studies). Only one serious adverse event (pelvic stress fracture) was attributed to the interventions. Conclusions. Theory-based PA interventions are safe and feasible for overweight and obese female cancer survivors. Interventions that include a center-based component showed moderate to large effect sizes for PA. Future studies should evaluate behavioral variables and more health-related clinical outcomes.
Collaborative Transformations
Authors: Napan Ksenija , Green Jennifer K. , Thomas Judith A. , Stent Warwick J. , Jülich Shirley J. , Lee Debora , Patterson Lynnemaree
Published: October 2017

This research demonstrates that cooperative inquiry (CI) offers authentic opportunities for academics to transform their teaching, paving the way for additional collaborative practices in higher education across a range of disciplines. Using data from cycles of action and reflection, a multidisciplinary group of seven tertiary teachers committed to monthly meetings over a period of 18 months. This collaborative process enabled expansion of personal, professional, and institutional boundaries in terms of how learning can occur through transformed and transformative teaching approaches. Our commitment led to innovative teaching practices that emerged from our CI process. Challenges of this approach and possible ways to overcome them are addressed. This research led primarily to transformation of self and enhanced academic relationships. It also provides insights regarding the potential to transform tertiary learning institutions and contribute to the development of academics who are inspired to be more appreciative of and engaged with their students.
An Assessment of a Shortened Consent Form for the Storage and Research Use of Residual Newborn Screening Blood Spots
Authors: Rothwell Erin , Goldenberg Aaron , Johnson Erin , Riches Naomi , Tarini Beth , Botkin Jeffrey R.
Published: October 2017

As state newborn screening programs develop approaches to parental permission for the storage and use of residual dried newborn screening samples, it is important to understand how the public comprehends the consent elements. Focus groups in Utah, California, and Michigan ( n = 7 groups, 69 participants) were conducted to evaluate the language on a shortened consent form. Outcomes from the analysis included barriers to conceptualizing biospecimen research, the overly cautious tone and awkwardness of the consent form, and perceptions of community versus individual benefit. This research offers insight on public response to, and comprehension of, commonly used consent language for the storage and use of dried blood spot research in a shortened consent form.
Conducting Analysis in Institutional Ethnography
Authors: Rankin Janet
Published: October 2017

Institutional ethnography (IE) is being taken up by researchers across diverse disciplines, many who do not have a background in sociology and the antecedents and influences that underpin Dorothy Smith’s distinctive IE method. Novice IEers, who often work with advisors who have not studied or conducted an IE, are at risk of straying from IE’s core epistemology and ontology. This second of a two-volume set provides a broad overview to approaching analysis once the IE design and fieldwork are well under way. The purpose of two-volume series is to offer practical guidance and cautions that have been generated from my experiences of supervising graduate students and my involvement in reviewing and examining IE work that has gone “off track.” With a particular focus on the practicalities of conducting analysis, the paper includes examples of the application of IE’s theoretical framework with techniques for approaching and managing data: mapping, indexing, and building preliminary accounts/“analytic chunks.” I suggest these techniques are useful tactics to work with data and to refine the formulation of the research problematic(s) to be explicated.
Semantic segmentation–aided visual odometry for urban autonomous driving
Authors: An Lifeng , Zhang Xinyu , Gao Hongbo , Liu Yuchao
Published: October 2017

Visual odometry plays an important role in urban autonomous driving cars. Feature-based visual odometry methods sample the candidates randomly from all available feature points, while alignment-based visual odometry methods take all pixels into account. These methods hold an assumption that quantitative majority of candidate visual cues could represent the truth of motions. But in real urban traffic scenes, this assumption could be broken by lots of dynamic traffic participants. Big trucks or buses may occupy the main image parts of a front-view monocular camera and result in wrong visual odometry estimation. Finding available visual cues that could represent real motion is the most important and hardest step for visual odometry in the dynamic environment. Semantic attributes of pixels could be considered as a more reasonable factor for candidate selection in that case. This article analyzed the availability of all visual cues with the help of pixel-level semantic information and proposed a new visual odometry method that combines feature-based and alignment-based visual odometry methods with one optimization pipeline. The proposed method was compared with three open-source visual odometry algorithms on Kitti benchmark data sets and our own data set. Experimental results confirmed that the new approach provided effective improvement both on accurate and robustness in the complex dynamic scenes.
Localization of mobile robot using visual system
Authors: Mikulová Zuzana , Duchoň František , Dekan Martin , Babinec Andrej
Published: October 2017

One of the main problems in mobile robotics is localization. This article aims to increase accuracy of localization of mobile robot using visual system. Mobile robot is taking images of environment containing artificial markers. Design of the markers was also one of the tasks. Markers can be used indoors and are placed on ceiling, where there is low number of other disturbing elements. They are designed to be able to split each marker into two parts—one is changeless and the second is changing with each marker. This provides an easy segmentation of all markers and then distinguishes between them easily as well. Localization is based on changes of markers angle and position in acquired images. During research of suitable algorithms, several approaches were tested to gain optimal results of localization considering time consumption and accuracy. The last part of this work deals with implementation of visual system and odometry fusion. That provides even more precise localization of the mobile robot.
Sociopsychological and physiological effects of a robot-assisted therapy for children with autism
Authors: Bharatharaj Jaishankar , Huang Loulin , Al-Jumaily Ahmed , Mohan Rajesh Elara , Krägeloh Chris
Published: October 2017

This article reports our findings from a robot-assisted therapeutic study conducted over 49 days to investigate the sociopsychological and physiological effects in children with autism spectrum disorder using a parrot-inspired robot, KiliRo, that we developed to help in therapeutic settings. We investigated the frequency of participants’ interactions among each other and assessed any changes in interaction using social network analysis. Interactions were assessed through manual observation before and after exposure to the robot. Urinary and salivary tests were performed to obtain protein and α-amylase levels, respectively, to report the physiological changes in participating children with autism spectrum disorder before and after interacting with the robot. This is a pioneering human–robot interaction study to investigate changes in stress levels using salivary samples. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and arterial oxygen saturation level in blood were also monitored to investigate the physiological changes in participating children before, during, and after interacting with our parrot-inspired robot, KiliRo. The results show that the robot can help increase social interaction among children with autism spectrum disorder and assist in learning tasks. Furthermore, the clinical biochemistry test report using urinary and salivary samples indicates that the stress levels of children with autism reduced notably after interacting with the robot. Nevertheless, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels in blood did not show positive change in all participants.
Multi-Tasking and Making a Living from Music: Investigating Music Careers in the Independent Music Scene of Milan
Authors: Tarassi Silvia
Published: October 2017

The analysis of popular music scenes has traditionally focused upon grass-roots music-making practices, without considering how these practices are rooted in the organizational and economic dynamics that characterize today’s cultural economy. This article suggests the need to look at music production in music scenes as a more professionalized activity which requires entrepreneurial skills and economic sustainability. Drawing on the findings of a six-month fieldwork study of the music scene of Milan, this article will attempt to re-conceptualize our understanding of music scenes and to explain how the desire to make a living through music requires the members of a scene to be engaged to a significant degree in multi-tasking and multi-jobbing, which allows them to survive in a risky, precarious environment.
Optimal duration of adjuvant endocrine therapy: how to apply the newest data
Authors: Wimmer Kerstin , Strobl Stephanie , Bolliger Michael , Devyatko Yelena , Korkmaz Belgin , Exner Ruth , Fitzal Florian , Gnant Michael
Published: October 2017

Background:

The benefit of 5 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy for women with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer (BC) is beyond discussion. Nevertheless, the risk of recurrence of luminal BC persists for 15 years or more after diagnosis. Consequently, approaches of extended adjuvant therapy have been investigated in large clinical trials, with the ultimate aim of further reducing the risk of recurrence in patients with HR+ BC.

Methods:

A review of recently published trial data is presented to provide a solid basis for discussion. A discussion of the side effects of long-term endocrine treatment, multigenetic tests aiming to identify patients at particular risk, and an outlook for further promising targets are additional aims of this review.

Conclusion:

Extended adjuvant therapy seems beneficial in reducing distant relapse and contralateral BC for a selected group of patients with HR+ BC, particularly if aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are used after initial tamoxifen therapy. However, patients with lower risk of recurrence and initial AI therapy may suffer more from side effects than benefit from extended therapy.
Critical issues and current challenges in osteoporosis and fracture prevention. An overview of unmet needs
Authors: Lems Willem F. , Raterman Hennie G.
Published: October 2017

Osteoporosis is a silent disease with increasing prevalence due to the global ageing population. Decreased bone strength and bone quality is the hallmark of osteoporosis which leads to an increased risk of fragility fractures in elderly. It has been estimated that approximately ~50% of women will suffer during their lifetime from an osteoporotic fracture. This must be considered as a major health concern, as it has previously been established that fragility fracture has been associated with decreased quality of life due to increased disability, more frequent hospital admission and most importantly, osteoporotic fractures have been related to an augmented mortality risk. Anti-osteoporotic drugs are available for improving bone quality. Although there is access to these therapeutic options, there remain multiple unmet needs in the field of osteoporosis and fracture care, for example, the primary prevention of osteoporosis in young individuals (to reach a high peak bone mass), the optimization of the use of imaging techniques [dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) and new techniques measuring bone quality], the use of nonmedical treatment options and surgical techniques of fracture healing. In this review, we will discuss topics that play a role in the occurrence and prevention of fractures, and we give an overview of and insight into the critical issues and challenges around osteoporosis and fracture prevention.
Manufacturing Process Changes and Reduced Skin Irritations of an Adhesive Patch Used for Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices
Authors: Gisin Vitaliy , Chan Anna , Welsh John B.
Published: October 2017

Adhesives used for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices can cause skin irritations, which sometimes lead to abandonment of the therapy. A previous sensor manufacturing process involved two separate adhesives—one applied to the skin-facing surface of the fabric patch, and a second, ethyl cyanoacrylate-based adhesive, which secured the plastic transmitter housing to the superficial side of the patch. Our current process for attaching the transmitter housing to the fabric patch uses heatstaking, wherein the housing is heated and pressed against the patch with a specialized assembly apparatus. Heatstaking simplifies the sensor assembly process and obviates the need for the second adhesive, which may lead to lower risk of skin irritation(s) in some patients.
Porous Titanium Wedges in Lateral Column Lengthening for Adult-Acquired Flatfoot Deformity
Authors: Moore Spencer H. , Carstensen S. Evan , Burrus M. Tyrrell , Cooper Truitt , Park Joseph S. , Perumal Venkat
Published: October 2017

Lateral column lengthening (LCL) is a common procedure for reconstruction of stage II flexible adult-acquired flatfoot deformity (AAFD). The recent development of porous titanium wedges for this procedure provides an alternative to allograft and autograft. The purpose of this study was to report radiographic and clinical outcomes achieved with porous titanium wedges in LCL. A retrospective analysis of 34 feet in 30 patients with AAFD that received porous titanium wedges for LCL from January 2011 to October 2014. Deformity correction was assessed using both radiographic and clinical parameters. Radiographic correction was assessed using the lateral talo–first metatarsal angle, the talonavicular uncoverage percentage, and the first metatarsocuneiform height. The hindfoot valgus angle was measured. Patients were followed from a minimum of 6 months up to 4 years (mean 16.1 months). Postoperative radiographs demonstrated significant correction in all 3 radiographic criteria and the hindfoot valgus angle. We had no cases of nonunion, no wedge migration, and no wedges have been removed to date. The most common complication was calcaneocuboid joint pain (14.7%). Porous titanium wedges in LCL can achieve good radiographic and clinical correction of AAFD with a low rate of nonunion and other complications.

Levels of Evidence: Level IV: Case series
Prognostic Value of the Neurological Examination in Cardiac Arrest Patients After Therapeutic Hypothermia
Authors: Matthews Elizabeth A. , Magid-Bernstein Jessica , Sobczak Evie , Velazquez Angela , Falo Cristina Maria , Park Soojin , Claassen Jan , Agarwal Sachin
Published: October 2017

Objectives:

Current prognostication guidelines for cardiac arrest (CA) survivors predate the use of therapeutic hypothermia (TH). The prognostic value and ideal timing of the neurological examination remain unknown in the setting of TH.

Design:

Patients (N = 291) admitted between 2007 and 2015 to Columbia University intensive care units for TH following CA had neurological examinations performed on days 1, 3, 5, and 7 postarrest. Absent pupillary light response (PLR), absent corneal reflexes (CRs), and Glasgow coma scores motor (GCS-M) no better than extension were considered poor examinations. Poor outcome was recorded as cerebral performance category score ≥3 at discharge and 1 year. Predictive values of examination maneuvers were calculated for each time point.

Main Results:

Among the 137 survivors to day 7, sensitivities and negative predictive values were low at all time points. The PLR had false positive rates (FPRs) of 0% and positive predictive values (PPV) of 100% from day 3 onward. For the CR and GCS-M, the FPRs decreased from day 3 to 5 (9% vs 3%; 21% vs 9%), while PPVs increased (91% vs 96%; 90% vs 95%). Excluding patients who died due to withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy (WLST) did not significantly affect FPRs or PPVs, nor did assessing outcome at 1 year.

Conclusions:

A poor neurological examination remains a strong predictor of poor outcome, both at hospital discharge and at 1 year, independent of WLST. Following TH, the predictive value of the examination is insufficient at day 3 and should be delayed until at least day 5, with some additional benefit beyond day 5.
Disseminated penicilliosis (non-Penicillium marneffei) in an immuno-competent individual in Malaysia
Authors: Zainudin Lily Diana , Raja Shariff Raja Ezman Faridz , Hanafiah Mohammad , Mohd Noh Rosnida , Yuhana Yazzli , Awad Siti Norbahiyah
Published: October 2017

Penicilliosis infection caused by Penicillium marneffei is the third most common opportunistic infection in Human Immunodeficiency Virus patients in South-east Asia; however, Penicillium infection caused by non- P. marneffei is uncommon. We present a case of an immunocompetent male with disseminated penicilliosis (non- P. marneffei) presenting with recurrent empyema. The case described illustrates the challenges in managing a complicated systemic infection and the outcomes of a delayed presentation, in a potentially treatable disease.
Improving recognition in the UK for menopause-related challenges to women’s working life
Authors: Griffiths Amanda
Published: October 2017

This paper is based on an invited presentation to the British Menopause Society conference in May 2016, about the author’s research on women’s experience of the menopause and work in the UK. It summarises that work and considers recommendations for employers, women and healthcare practitioners who advise them.
Meaning-Making Exercise Using Images and Soundscape: The Case of San Pedro Street, Davao City, Philippines
Authors: Escano Ma. Teresa , Sumaylo Dennis John
Published: October 2017

This article explored the capacity of mixed media to elicit meanings from their lookers. A multisensory exhibition of photographs and soundscape was utilized to achieve the objective. The photographs provided the visual stimulus while soundscape accompanied the images to provide an aural map of the area being documented. Both media helped in the meaning-making process. The area documented was the center of Davao City, Philippines—San Pedro Street—as it cradles the center of faith, the seats of power, and the center of commerce. But, with urban decay, this place seemed to lose its former glory. With the visual and aural stimuli, these stories (memories) embedded in the mind of the lookers are culled. This is the meaning-making process.
Establishing a Valid Instrument to Measure Entrepreneurial Knowledge and Skill
Authors: Mamun Abdullah Al , Kumar Naresh , Ibrahim Mohamed Dahlan , Yusoff Hakimin
Published: October 2017

The purpose of this study is to establish a valid measure for entrepreneurial knowledge and skill from the perspectives of low-income households in Malaysia by means of reviewing the depths and progress of relevant entrepreneurial literature. In such effort, the subsequent research examines entrepreneurial skills, market orientation, sales orientation, and networking as components that will act as a set of instruments to measure “entrepreneurial knowledge and skill.” Quantitative dates were collected from a total of 800 randomly selected household heads across four districts in Kelantan, Malaysia through structured interviews. On the basis of the reliability and validity testing, this study finalized the instruments to 26 items yielding four factors, namely, entrepreneurial skills (six items), market orientation (eight items), sales orientation (nine items), and networking (three items). Findings of the reflective hierarchical model revealed that networking is the highest contributor toward entrepreneurial knowledge and skill among the low-income households in Kelantan, followed by market orientation, entrepreneurial skills, and sales orientation. It is recommended that future researchers apply and thereby extend the developed measure by cross-examining the instruments presented in this study across different income-level groups underdeveloped and developed nations.
An Andragogical Approach to Teaching Leadership
Authors: McCauley Kelly Davis , Hammer Emily , Hinojosa Amanda S.
Published: October 2017

Students in today’s college classroom are diverse in age and work, leadership, and life experiences; hence, students transitioning into adulthood may understand and relate core leadership knowledge to their own experiences differently than mature adults. As such, we call upon andragogy, a theory of adult learning, to inform our approach to teaching leadership. We employ andragogy and its six assumptions (the learners’ self-concept, the role of experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learning, motivation, and the need to know) as a guiding framework for the selection and development of leadership instructional tools, thus creating an individualized learning experience for emerging and full-fledged adults that bridges the leadership theory and practice gap. We offer examples of leadership instructional tools that align with andragogical assumptions and provide suggestions for scaling these assignments and activities to address students’ learning needs at different stages of adulthood.
Appropriate Use of Ceftriaxone in the Emergency Department of a Veteran’s Health Care System
Authors: Durham Spencer H. , Wingler Mary J. , Eiland Lea S.
Published: October 2017

Background: Ceftriaxone is a third-generation cephalosporin commonly utilized as an empiric antibiotic treatment option in the emergency department (ED). Overuse can lead to decreased susceptibility and emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens, increased costs, and unnecessary adverse effects. Objective: The purpose of this project was to determine the appropriateness of ceftriaxone usage in the ED of a veteran’s health care system. Methods: This retrospective chart review included all veterans who received at least one dose of ceftriaxone in the ED between June 1, 2014, and June 1, 2015. The primary outcome was the percentage of appropriate ceftriaxone use. Usage appropriateness was determined on a case-by-case basis by examining current published guidelines and local recommendations based on the institutional antibiogram. Results: Ceftriaxone was prescribed for a wide variety of indications and was determined to be inappropriately prescribed in 164 patients (53%). The most common reason for inappropriate prescribing was lack of a first-line indication for ceftriaxone (64%). Only 120 patients (38.5%) exhibited systemic signs of infection based on vital signs and laboratory parameters, and 25 patients (8%) likely did not require antibiotic therapy at all. Conclusions: Ceftriaxone was used inappropriately in more than half of the patients who received the drug in the ED. The literature on the prescribing habits for ceftriaxone is limited in the United States, but these results are similar to studies conducted in other countries. Attempts should be made to educate prescribers on appropriate indications for the use of ceftriaxone.