bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prehospital Utility of Rapid Stroke Evaluation Using In-Ambulance Telemedicine
Authors: Wu Tzu-Ching , Nguyen Claude , Ankrom Christy , Yang Julian , Persse David , Vahidy Farhaan , Grotta James C. , Savitz Sean I.
Published: June 2014

Background and Purpose—

Prehospital evaluation using telemedicine may accelerate acute stroke treatment with tissue-type plasminogen activator. We explored the feasibility and reliability of using telemedicine in the field and ambulance to help evaluate acute stroke patients.

Methods—

Ten unique, scripted stroke scenarios, each conducted 4 times, were portrayed by trained actors retrieved and transported by Houston Fire Department emergency medical technicians to our stroke center. The vascular neurologists performed remote assessments in real time, obtaining clinical data points and National Institutes of Health (NIH) Stroke Scale, using the In-Touch RP-Xpress telemedicine device. Each scripted scenario was recorded for a subsequent evaluation by a second blinded vascular neurologist. Study feasibility was defined by the ability to conduct 80% of the sessions without major technological limitations. Reliability of video interpretation was defined by a 90% concordance between the data derived during the real-time sessions and those from the scripted scenarios.

Results—

In 34 of 40 (85%) scenarios, the teleconsultation was conducted without major technical complication. The absolute agreement for intraclass correlation was 0.997 (95% confidence interval, 0.992–0.999) for the NIH Stroke Scale obtained during the real-time sessions and 0.993 (95% confidence interval, 0.975–0.999) for the recorded sessions. Inter-rater agreement using κ-statistics showed that for live-raters, 10 of 15 items on the NIH Stroke Scale showed excellent agreement and 5 of 15 showed moderate agreement. Matching of real-time assessments occurred for 88% (30/34) of NIH Stroke Scale scores by ±2 points and 96% of the clinical information.

Conclusions—

Mobile telemedicine is reliable and feasible in assessing actors simulating acute stroke in the prehospital setting.
Diagnostic Yield of Pelvic Magnetic Resonance Venography in Patients With Cryptogenic Stroke and Patent Foramen Ovale
Authors: Liberman Ava L. , Daruwalla Vistasp J. , Collins Jeremy D. , Maas Matthew B. , Botelho Marcos Paulo Ferreira , Ayache Jad Bou , Carr James , Ruff Ilana , Bernstein Richard A. , Alberts Marc J. , Prabhakaran Shyam
Published: June 2014

Background and Purpose—

Paradoxical embolization is frequently posited as a mechanism of ischemic stroke in patients with patent foramen ovale. Several studies have suggested that the deep lower extremity and pelvic veins might be an embolic source in cryptogenic stroke (CS) patients with patent foramen ovale.

Methods—

Consecutive adult patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack and a patent foramen ovale who underwent pelvic magnetic resonance venography as part of an inpatient diagnostic evaluation were included in this single-center retrospective observational study to determine pelvic and lower extremity (LE) deep venous thrombosis (DVT) prevalence in CS versus non-CS stroke subtypes.

Results—

Of 131 patients who met inclusion criteria, 126 (96.2%) also had LE duplex ultrasound data. DVT prevalence overall was 7.6% (95% confidence interval, 4.1–13.6), pelvic DVT 1.5% (95% confidence interval, 0.1–5.8), and LE DVT 7.1% (95% confidence interval, 3.6–13.2). One patient with a pelvic DVT also had a LE DVT. Comparing patients with CS (n=98) with non-CS subtypes (n=33), there was no significant difference in the prevalence of pelvic DVT (2.1% versus 0%,
P
=1), LE DVT (6.2% versus 10.3%,
P
=0.43), or any DVT (7.2% versus 9.1%,
P
=0.71).

Conclusions—

Among patients with ischemic stroke/transient ischemic attack and patent foramen ovale, the majority of detected DVTs were in LE veins rather than the pelvic veins and did not differ by stroke subtype. The routine inclusion of pelvic magnetic resonance venography in the diagnostic evaluation of CS warrants further prospective investigation.
Reflections on the Penn Discourse TreeBank, Comparable Corpora, and Complementary Annotation
Authors: Prasad Rashmi , Webber Bonnie , Joshi Aravind
Published: June 2014

The Penn Discourse Treebank (PDTB) was released to the public in 2008. It remains the largest manually annotated corpus of discourse relations to date. Its focus on discourse relations that are either lexically-grounded in explicit discourse connectives or associated with sentential adjacency has not only facilitated its use in language technology and psycholinguistics but also has spawned the annotation of comparable corpora in other languages and genres.

Given this situation, this paper has four aims: (1) to provide a comprehensive introduction to the PDTB for those who are unfamiliar with it; (2) to correct some wrong (or perhaps inadvertent) assumptions about the PDTB and its annotation that may have weakened previous results or the performance of decision procedures induced from the data; (3) to explain variations seen in the annotation of comparable resources in other languages and genres, which should allow developers of future comparable resources to recognize whether the variations are relevant to them; and (4) to enumerate and explain relationships between PDTB annotation and complementary annotation of other linguistic phenomena. The paper draws on work done by ourselves and others since the corpus was released.
On the South Caspian Contact Zone: Some Talishi Folk Beliefs
Authors: Asatrian Garnik , Arakelova Victoria
Published: June 2014

One of the productive approaches to the analysis of the phenomenon of frontier zones, and the South Caspian region in particular, could be the delimitation of local cultural areas— not within administrative borders, but rather by frontier lines defined by such parameters as linguistic and toponymic areas, characteristics of the people’s mentality, specifics of local beliefs, etc. The southern and south-western shores of the Caspian Sea can be defined as a unique cultural landscape, a picturesque world “existing on the frontier lines”. On the marginal level—in folk beliefs, religious lore, etc.—the steadfast local substrate transformed Islam into shapes extraneous to the religious dogma. The South Caspian population, despite the domination of traditional forms of Islam, has preserved multiple elements dating back to the pre-Islamic cultural heritage.

The article discusses some peculiarities of folk beliefs of the Talishis, one of the autochthonous peoples of the area. An essential part of the paper includes attempts of revealing the pre-Islamic background of some characters and phenomena, modified and reinterpreted by Muslim thinking or through folk etymologies.
R2P and Humanitarian Action
Authors: Cairns Edmund
Published: June 2014

The responsibility to protect was not the only concept that grew out of the world’s failure to tackle the mass atrocities of the 1990s in Rwanda, Bosnia and elsewhere. So too did a new approach to humanitarian action which placed a higher priority on protecting civilians, and on advocacy to do so, than had hitherto been common. Oxfam’s role in the campaign to persuade the 2005 World Summit to adopt the responsibility to protect was one prominent example, but, to different degrees, this broad approach has become widely shared among many international humanitarian agencies. Since 2005, however, even Oxfam has made little use of the responsibility to protect to frame its own work to help protect civilians, or to advocate to prevent mass atrocities in specific crises. This is partly because of the fear that R2P can be misapplied to justify military intervention where the benefits do not clearly outweigh the risks. But it is also because of the continuing suspicion around R2P among many governments. This seems to reflect the wider limits of what largely Western-based humanitarian agencies and governments can do to develop new international norms and put them into effect. When R2P was first developed, humanitarian agencies played a part in broadly similar alliances to ban landmines, establish the icc and so on. Some of these have already had a substantial effect, while it may be a generation before the value of R2P and others can be fairly evaluated. Looking ahead, humanitarian agencies will have to put an increasing emphasis on influencing emerging powers and other Southern governments, while alliances between governments and ngos, to be effective, will have to be genuinely global.
The Evolution from Integrated Missions to ‘Peace Keepers on Steroids’
Authors: Hofman Michiel
Published: June 2014

In the two decades that followed the traumatic events in Rwanda and Srebrenica, the paradigms of both international aid and international military action have profoundly changed. By 2008, strong political missions combined with robust peacekeeping operations, under the new doctrine of ‘Integrated Missions’, had become the norm for un involvement in conflict. This article will argue, illustrated by three examples in Afghanistan, Somalia and Mali, that these international military interventions, whether in the form of a un integrated mission, R2P or non-authorised allied initiatives like Iraq and Afghanistan, have a negative effect on access for humanitarian aid. This affects all aid agencies, as armed groups have neither the time nor inclination to note subtle differences between organisations within this international enterprise. The evolution to ever more proactive peacekeeping operations, reaching its culmination in 2013 in drc and to a lesser extend in Mali, has a direct effect on the impartial delivery of aid to all sides of a conflict. Whether or not the integrated model and offensive peacekeeping will have better outcomes for the longer term stability and security of populations trapped in conflict, is not addressed or challenged. But there is a price to pay for this approach: access for humanitarian aid will suffer.
The carpology and taxonomy of some Chinese Corispermum (Amaranthaceae s.l.)
Authors: SUKHORUKOV ALEXANDER P. , ZHANG MINGLI , NILOVA MAYA V.
Published: June 2014

Corispermum iljinii from Qinghai and Ningxia provinces and C. nanum from Xizang (Tibet) are described as new species. The new variety C. dutreuilii var. montanum is described. Lectotypes of C. declinatum, C. elongatum and C. macrocarpum have been designated. The fruit anatomy of 16 Chinese taxa has been investigated for the first time. Both molecular and carpological data support the specific status of C. ellipsocarpum. The general fruit structure of Corispermoideae is specified and discussed.
Towards a more complete knowledge of the liverwort flora of Panama
Authors: Schäfer-Verwimp Alfons
Published: June 2014

One hundred and seven species, two subspecies and one variety of liverworts are newly reported from Panama including 27 species which were previously unknown from Central America. In total, 328 new province records are listed. The number of liverwort and hornwort species from Panama is now close to 470. Notes on the geographical distribution of the species are provided.
Impacts of Seaplanes and Seaports on the Perception and Conception of the Modern City
Authors: Zelef M. Haluk
Published: June 2014

This article focuses on the waterscape of Istanbul, uncovering an episode in the city’s urban history based on this main geographic characteristic. It studies the novel civil seaplane transportation technologies of the 1920s and 1930s, analyzing their actual and possible impacts on the city. These planes provided not only a rapid link between the city and Europe but also a new vantage point for the perception of its natural and built environment. The aircraft were also planned to play innovative roles in the conception of the urban structure of a modern city as well as in the envisioned international events.
If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again
Authors: Culpepper Steven Andrew
Published: June 2014

Previous research has considered sequential item response theory (SIRT) models for circumstances where examinees are allowed at least one opportunity to correctly answer questions. Research suggests that employing answer-until-correct assessment frameworks with partial feedback can promote student learning and improve score precision. This article describes SIRT models for cases when test takers are allowed a finite number of repeated attempts on items. An overview of SIRT models is provided and the Rasch SIRT is discussed as a special case. Three applications are presented using assessment data from a calculus-based probability theory course. The first application estimates a Rasch SIRT model using marginal maximum likelihood and Markov chain Monte Carlo procedures and students with higher latent variable scores tend to have more knowledge and are better able to retrieve that knowledge in fewer attempts. The second application uses R to estimate growth-curve SIRT models that account for individual differences in content knowledge and recovery/retrieval rates. The third application is a multidimensional SIRT model that estimates an attempt-specific latent proficiency variable. The implications of SIRT models and answer-until-correct assessment frameworks are discussed for researchers, psychometricians, and test developers.
Impact of Mental Health Problems on Self-Perceived Oral Health Needs in a Medicaid Population
Authors: Boothroyd Roger A. , Ware Annie
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of self-perceived oral health needs among Medicaid-enrolled adults with and without mental health problems and to identify factors predictive of enrollees’ perceived oral health needs. The study involved a secondary analysis of 1,721 respondents to the Florida Health Services Survey. Contrary to the previous research, the findings from this study indicated that respondents with mental health problems (52.9%) did not differ significantly in their dental needs compared to those who did not have mental health problems (49.3%). The results from a logistic regression suggested that after controlling for demographic characteristics, substance abuse problems and functional needs increased the likelihood of self-reported oral health needs, whereas the receipt of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) was associated with decreased dental needs. The prevalence of unmet dental needs among these respondents (i.e., 23%) supported the conclusion that a significant gap exists in the accessibility of oral health services among this population.
‘Work/place’ media: locating laboring audiences
Authors: Hughes Kit
Published: June 2014

Without suggesting a break from ongoing research into historical examples of corporate and industrial media, this article points towards additional and complementary avenues of research. It considers the role of (what we might call) the audience across contemporary and historical media workplace media practices by offering a framework for thinking through the cultural meanings embedded within labor-related media by users. Rather than focusing audience research through the lens of ‘industrial’ or (more recently) ‘corporate’ – categories that are both broad (‘industrial’ includes a wide range of internal and external communication and education purposes) and exclusive (neither allows for the inclusion of all media produced and consulted in the course of business, e.g. an office worker watching YouTube on the job) – I suggest using ‘work/place’ to understand media use and practice within structures of labor and location. Placing audience studies literature alongside discussions of labor and place, I sketch a preliminary outline for understanding these practices while pursuing questions related to the definition of audiences, the specificities of non-entertainment media, and mediated place and labor. My conclusion points to the methodological challenges and special considerations tied to this ‘work/place’ lens and the possibilities of undertaking live subject audience research.
Trust in government institutions: The effects of performance and participation in the Dominican Republic and Haiti
Authors: Stoyan Alissandra T , Niedzwiecki Sara , Morgan Jana , Hartlyn Jonathan , Espinal Rosario
Published: June 2014

This article analyzes theories of institutional trust in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, two developing countries that have shared some historical legacies but currently manifest divergent economic and political trajectories. The evidence confirms that conventional theories emphasizing participation and government performance help us understand institutional trust in both countries. In addition, the analysis emphasizes the analytical leverage gained by exploring the extent to which different facets of engagement have divergent effects on institutional trust. The findings build upon previous research to underscore the importance of considering how context shapes the precise ways in which performance and engagement influence institutional trust, particularly when analyzing the developing world.
Effectiveness of complex interventions focused on quality-of-life assessment to improve palliative care patients’ outcomes: A systematic review
Authors: Catania Gianluca , Beccaro Monica , Costantini Massimo , Ugolini Donatella , De Silvestri Annalisa , Bagnasco Annamaria , Sasso Loredana
Published: June 2014

Background:

One of the most crucial palliative care challenges is in determining how patient’ needs are defined and assessed. Assessing quality of life has been defined as a priority in palliative care, and it has become a central concept in palliative care practice.

Aim:

To determine to what extent interventions focused on measuring quality of life in palliative care practice are effective in improving outcomes in palliative care patients.

Design:

Systematic review according to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and hand searches.

Data sources:

MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles published until June 2012, and through hand searching from references lists of included articles. Only studies that included adult palliative care patients, in any palliative care clinical practice setting of care, and with an experimental, quasi-experimental, or observational analytical study design were eligible for inclusion. All studies were independently reviewed by two investigators who scored them for methodological quality by using the Edwards Method Score.

Results:

In total, 11 articles (of 8579) incorporating information from 10 studies were included. Only three were randomized controlled trials. The quality of the evidence was found from moderate to low. Given a wide variability among patients’ outcomes, individual effect size (ES) was possible for 6 out of 10 studies, 3 of which found a moderate ES on symptoms (ES = 0.68) and psychological (ES = 0.60) and social (ES = 0.55) dimensions.

Conclusion:

Effectiveness of interventions focused on quality-of-life assessment is moderate. Additional studies should explore the complexity of the real palliative care world more accurately and understand the effects of independent variables included in complex palliative care interventions.
Individually adapted tube current selection and contrast medium injection protocol of coronary CT angiography based on test bolus parameters: a feasibility study
Authors: Zhu Xiaomei , Shi Zhaofei , Zhu Yinsu , Liu Wangyan , Yang Guanyu , Yu Tongfu , Tang Lijun , Xu Yi
Published: June 2014

Background

Test bolus is mostly used to determine the starting point of a full cardiac scanning with respect to injection of a larger bolus of contrast material. So far there are limited data demonstrating the feasibility of using information obtained from a test bolus to adjust contrast delivery protocols and tube current individually during coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA).

Purpose

To evaluate the feasibility of individually adapted tube current selection and contrast injection protocols of CCTA based on test bolus parameters.

Material and Methods

Test bolus followed by CCTA was performed in 93 patients at 100 kV and in 81 patients at 120 kV, respectively. Simulated attenuation of the descending aorta (SimDA) of CCTA was calculated at a fixed contrast injection rate of 4 mL/s. Univariate and multivariate comparisons were performed to identify associations of SimDA and image noise of CCTA (NoiseCCTA) with test bolus information and patient-related factors including body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), and body surface area (BSA).

Results

Compared with BW, BMI, and BSA, SimDA was more closely related to the peak time of left ventricle and peak enhancement of right ventricle obtained from test bolus ( r = 0.495 and r = 0.642 for 100 and 120 kV protocol, respectively). Similarly, NoiseTB was much more closely related to NoiseCCTA ( r = 0.740 and r = 0.630 for 100 and 120 kV protocol, respectively) when compared with BW, BMI, and BSA.

Conclusion

It is feasible to individually adapt tube current and contrast injection protocol of CCTA based on the information of test bolus.
Quien Sabe Mas Lucha Mejor
Authors: O’Donnell Jennifer Lee
Published: June 2014

This article looks at popular adult educators’ care of the self practices within social movements in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It answers the following questions: How is popular adult education practiced amongst educators in social movements? What can studying popular adult educators’ care of the self practices offer the field of adult education? To answer these questions, I look to adult educators’ practices of sacrifice and self-naming; remembering historical tragedies; and educator, classroom, and community support within the Union of Popular Organizations’ political formation school and popular adult education schools.
In Search of the Confucian Family
Authors: Wang Yudan Chen
Published: June 2014

This article presents findings from interviews with 16 middle school students and their parents in Guangzhou, China, about parent-adolescent relationships. Themes revealed from the conversations suggested that adolescents were generally pleased with the good relationships with their parents, that they enjoyed the respect their parents had for them as their parents tended to use peaceful reasoning to communicate parental expectations, and that they themselves cared a lot about academic attainment because it would lead to good jobs in the future. In addition, working-class parents expressed a sense of inadequacy while holding on to the high hopes and expectations for their children, whereas middle-class parents and parents who had middle-class experiences either in their occupation or in their education tried to raise well-rounded children apart from emphasis on academic achievement. In sum, these parents and adolescents represented a generation that was influenced by a myriad of social forces in modern China, including Confucianism, Socialism, and Capitalism, instead of simply and solely by classical Confucianism. In other words, Confucianism, along with the lifestyle that supported it, was far less salient than assumed in a lot of research on Chinese families and parent-child relationships.
Beyond Braudel’s ‘Northern Invasion’? Aspects of the North Atlantic and Mediterranean fish trade in the early seventeenth century
Authors: Heywood Colin
Published: June 2014

It is not just in recent Spanish maritime historiography that fisheries history and the history of fish have been perceived as ‘the Cinderella of early modern … economic history’. Fernand Braudel, when he was rewriting his Méditerranée more than half a century ago, took as little notice of the dried fish staple in its Mediterranean context of consumption as in its North Atlantic context of production, and he largely passes over its origin in the Newfoundland fisheries, or its share in the coming into the Mediterranean of the ‘Northern Invasion’. The same is true of his specialised study from 60 years ago on the shipping history of Livorno in the second half of the sixteenth and first decade of the seventeenth century, based on the (admittedly incomplete) Livorno port records. Equally, Braudel’s more recent commentators and re-evaluators appear to have failed to notice the connection, preferring, together with their North Atlantic colleagues, to operate ‘within the box’ of their chosen region of specialisation. The ‘big question’, therefore, which I pose in this article, may be expressed thus: ‘What came first—grain or fish?’. In other words, was the need of the Mediterranean (or at least of its north-west, ‘Christian’ quadrant) for dried salt fish more important or significant (or ultimately more long-term) than the need for grain as a trigger for the late-sixteenth century ‘Northern Invasion’? Can a case be made for there having been a serious undervaluing of the fish trade, in terms of commodity volume, the number of vessels and men involved, and its general economic impact, as a component of the complex movement of men, ships and cargoes, which made up the ‘Northern Invasion’? This article provides an analysis of the original problem and draws on a number of unpublished early-seventeenth century archival sources to offer some preliminary observations on how to go about solving it.
What Kind of Nurse Are You?
Authors: Karnick Paula M.
Published: June 2014

Once again the importance of nursing theory in practice comes to the forefront. By examining one’s personal and professional beliefs in how one cares for people, it becomes apparent that nursing theory does guide nursing practice. The moral and ethical judgments one makes before or while caring for a person may reveal that personal bias can detract from the quality of care.
Optimization of wire electrical discharge machining process parameters on material removal rate for Al7075/SiC/Al2O3 hybrid composite
Authors: Lal Shyam , Kumar Sudhir , Khan Zahid A , Siddiquee Arshad N
Published: June 2014

This article investigated the effect of wire electrical discharge machining process parameters such as pulse on time, pulse off time, pulse current and the wire drum speed on the material removal rate, while machining newly developed hybrid metal matrix composite (Al7075/7.5%SiC/7.5%Al2O3). The hybrid composite was prepared by inert gas–assisted electromagnetic stir casting process. Taguchi method was used for parameter optimization and the level of importance was determined using analysis of variance. The results showed that pulse on time, pulse off time and pulse current were significant parameters. The pulse on time was the most significant parameter that contributed maximum (46.04%) to the material removal rate followed by pulse current (34.72%), pulse off time (10.23%) and interaction, pulse on time × pulse off time (5.46%). The wire drum speed had insignificant effect on the material removal rate. In confirmation test, the average experimental value of material removal rate was within the predicted optimum class interval.
An integrated technology pushing and requirement pulling model for weapon system portfolio selection in defence acquisition and manufacturing
Authors: Dou Yajie , Zhang Pengle , Ge Bingfeng , Jiang Jiang , Chen Yingwu
Published: June 2014

An integrated technology pushing and requirement pulling model is presented to address the problem of selecting a suitable portfolio from several candidate multi-function weapon systems in the defence acquisition and manufacturing process. The optimal weapon system portfolios both satisfy the technical effects and compound capability requirements with relative acquisition and manufacturing constraints. In the first stage, multiple criteria analysis is employed to build a portfolio value hierarchal structure from two main perspectives: a five-level set of technology pushing measures and a two-level set of requirement pulling measures. The developmental maturity level of a technology, its functionality, systems, capability, and portfolio are all captured by technology pushing measures, based on an additive multiple criteria model. The requirement satisfaction level of a system or portfolio is obtained by requirement pulling measures based on linear programming optimization and the first-ignorance model, which is founded on expert opinion, using pairwise comparisons. In the second stage, by means of manufacturing cost consumption and capability requirement constraint assumptions, the dominance structure of the portfolios is designed and all the technology and requirement portfolios are generated as a set of Pareto-optimal solutions, through multi-objective integer programming. An illustrative case study is presented to validate the efficiency of the proposed model, and the computational results are further analysed and discussed.
Through arc sensing for reciprocating wire feed gas metal arc welding
Authors: Kim Cheolhee
Published: June 2014

An arc sensor for reciprocating wire feed gas metal arc welding was developed to detect the torch height and track weld joints. The welding voltage waveform was adopted for the characteristic signal because the welding current remains almost constant with a change in the contact tip-to-workpiece distance. During reciprocating wire feed gas metal arc welding, the voltage waveform changes in an inherently complicated but periodic manner. After recognizing the voltage waveform pattern, the voltage characteristic for each phase was analyzed for arc sensing, and it was revealed that the short-circuit and cycle voltage characteristics were good estimators for torch height sensing. The dynamic arc sensing characteristics for reciprocating wire feed gas metal arc welding were investigated and found to be similar to those of a conventional constant voltage welding system. The seam tracking capability was evaluated by using the voltage integration difference method with transverse torch weaving. The voltage integration difference showed a linear relationship with the offset distance, and the reliability of the joint tracking sensor could be increased by using the moving average algorithm.
A back-propagation approach to compensate velocity and position errors in an integrated inertial/celestial navigation system using unscented Kalman filter
Authors: Nobahari Hadi , Ghanbarpour Asl Habib , Abtahi Seid Farhad
Published: June 2014

This article aims to compensate the velocity and position errors that exist when the star sensor starts to work in a strapdown inertial navigation system aided by celestial navigation. These systems are integrated via unscented Kalman filter to estimate the current attitude and the gyros fixed bias, precisely. Since an accurate integration is desired, the nonlinear attitude equations are utilized in filter and these equations are propagated through a precise discretization method. Then, implementing the back-propagation and smoothing techniques, the initial attitude and the accelerometers fixed bias are also estimated. Finally, carrying out a parallel navigation, the velocity and position errors are compensated. The validity of the proposed method is investigated through simulation of launch vehicle navigation. Simulation results show a great reduction in velocity and position errors.
Surrogacy assessment using principal stratification and a Gaussian copula model
Authors: Conlon ASC , Taylor JMG , Elliott MR
Published: June 2014

In clinical trials, a surrogate outcome ( S) can be measured before the outcome of interest ( T) and may provide early information regarding the treatment ( Z) effect on T. Many methods of surrogacy validation rely on models for the conditional distribution of T given Z and S. However, S is a post-randomization variable, and unobserved, simultaneous predictors of S and T may exist, resulting in a non-causal interpretation. Frangakis and Rubin developed the concept of principal surrogacy, stratifying on the joint distribution of the surrogate marker under treatment and control to assess the association between the causal effects of treatment on the marker and the causal effects of treatment on the clinical outcome. Working within the principal surrogacy framework, we address the scenario of an ordinal categorical variable as a surrogate for a censored failure time true endpoint. A Gaussian copula model is used to model the joint distribution of the potential outcomes of T, given the potential outcomes of S. Because the proposed model cannot be fully identified from the data, we use a Bayesian estimation approach with prior distributions consistent with reasonable assumptions in the surrogacy assessment setting. The method is applied to data from a colorectal cancer clinical trial, previously analyzed by Burzykowski et al.
Modeling, fabrication, and experimental validation of hybrid piezo-magnetostrictive and piezomagnetic energy harvesting units
Authors: Ibrahim Mohammed , Salehian Armaghan
Published: June 2014

As sources of energy are becoming more scarce and expensive, energy harvesting technologies that convert ambient energy to electrical energy are receiving more global interest. Proposed in this article are two hybrid energy harvesters that each employs a combination of piezoelectric (PZT), magnetostrictive (MSM), and electromagnetic technologies. Harvesters employ spiral geometries to allow smaller natural frequencies compared to a straight beam. In particular, the hybrid technology that uses piezoelectric and magnetostrictive has shown significant improvement in the frequency bandwidth of the device. The two harvesters are fabricated, modeled, and tested for their voltage, power, and displacement outputs. The test results are shown to be in good agreement with those obtained from the model.
A Process Evaluation of an HIV/STI Intervention for Rural African American Youth
Authors: Albritton Tashuna , Hodge-Sallah Stepheria , Akers Aletha , Blumenthal Connie , O’Brien Sarah , Council Barbara , Muhammad Melvin , Corbie-Smith Giselle
Published: June 2014

We evaluated the fidelity and implementation of an HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections intervention for rural African American youth. Using a community-based evaluation approach, community partners and researchers monitored four core process-evaluation components: reach, fidelity, dose delivered, and dose received. Researchers collected evaluation data through session observations, facilitator debriefing interviews, a youth focus group, and a satisfaction survey. For reach, more than half of the participants attended the 13 sessions. Participation varied between 62% and 100%. For fidelity, not all sessions were implemented as intended; multiple modifications occurred across sessions. For dose delivered, some lessons were missing materials and content was omitted; facilitators omitted content when there was insufficient time to complete a lesson. For dose received, engagement varied across lessons but youth reported high levels of satisfaction with the intervention. This formative process evaluation enabled us to identify and address multiple challenges to implementation.
Effects of an Individualized Narrative Intervention on Children’s Storytelling and Comprehension Skills
Authors: Spencer Trina D. , Kajian Mandana , Petersen Douglas B. , Bilyk Nicholas
Published: June 2014

Narrative skills that are important for preschoolers include retelling stories, telling personal stories, and answering questions about stories. Narrative abilities form the foundation of reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an individually delivered language intervention on the narrative skills of preschoolers with developmental disabilities. Five preschoolers attending Head Start and participating in special education received 24 sessions of intervention each lasting 10 to 15 min. A multiple baseline, multiple probe experimental design was used to investigate the effects of the intervention, which incorporated visual supports (e.g., icons and pictures) and retell and personal storytelling practice, on story retells, personal stories, and story comprehension. Improvements on all three measures were related to the intervention. Parents and teachers reported that the storytelling activities were engaging, enjoyable, and produced improvements in the children’s language skills.
Fulminant Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis After a Near-Drowning Accident in an Immunocompetent Patient
Authors: Ratermann Kelley L. , Ereshefsky Benjamin J. , Fleishaker Elise L. , Thornton Alice C. , Buch Ketan P. , Martin Craig A.
Published: June 2014

Objective: To report on invasive aspergillosis infection in an immunocompetent adult after a near-drowning event, which allowed this pathogen to easily gain access to the human respiratory system and result in rapid, severe infection. Case Summary: A 51-year-old female developed severe pneumonia after a near-drowning accident. Two days after admission, a bronchial alveolar lavage (BAL) was performed and was positive for Aspergillus fumigatus. After a 30-day hospital course, multiple antifungals, and various routes of administration, the patient expired. Discussion: Pneumonia is particularly common because of the aspiration of contaminated water. Whereas pneumococci, staphylococci, and Gram-negative bacteria are all common pathogens for this type of infection, fungi such as Aspergillus spp can also be involved and may be life threatening. Typically, these cases are reported in individuals with an immunodeficiency such as from receipt of myelosuppressive chemotherapy, bone marrow transplants, or lung transplants. Despite initiation of an appropriate empirical antifungal regimen, the rapid recovery of A fumigatus from pulmonary alveolar lavage and BAL samples as well as extremely elevated levels of galactomannan and (1→3)-β-D glucan may have indicated an invasive fungal infection (IFI). Conclusion: IFIs are uncommon in immunocompetent adults, but in the event of a near-drowning accident, environmental fungi can gain access to the human respiratory system and result in rapid, severe infection. Based on this case and the others described, it appears that near-drowning patients need an early initial evaluation for IFI.
Incidence and Management of Rash in Telaprevir-Treated Patients
Authors: Smith Michael A. , Johnson Heather J. , Chopra Kapil B. , Dunn Michael A. , Ulrich Ashley M. , Mohammad Rima A.
Published: June 2014

Background: Telaprevir-induced rash is a common, therapy-limiting adverse drug event (ADE) for patients with hepatitis c virus (HCV) infection. Given the similarity between telaprevir and simeprevir, real-world management of rash during treatment with an NS3/4A protease inhibitor and its implications are important. Objective: The objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of rash in telaprevir-treated patients, its management, and the impact on sustained virological response and to identify any risk factors for rash development. Method: This was a retrospective study of adult patients who were treated with telaprevir in a hepatology clinic from July 1, 2011, to August 31, 2012. Pertinent information on demographics, past medical history, medications, laboratory data, outcomes of rash, other ADEs related to treatment, and physician grading of rash were collected. Result: Of 159 patients included, 44% (70/159) developed rash, and 4% (7/159) discontinued therapy because of rash. Median number of days until rash did not differ between patients who continued and discontinued therapy (25 vs 45, respectively; P = 0.88). Patients who developed rash were more likely to have lower actual body weight (ABW) or body mass index (BMI; P ≤ 0.01). No significant difference in rash development when drug-allergy history was considered was found. Most patients who continued telaprevir were prescribed topical corticosteroids (93.7%) and cetirizine (41.3%). Patients who discontinued therapy were more likely to be evaluated by dermatology ( P = 0.002), prescribed oral corticosteroids ( P = 0.02), hydroxyzine ( P = 0.001), and topical triamcinolone ( P = 0.01). Conclusion: ABW and BMI appear to be related to rash development. This finding may have implications in the treatment of HCV with simeprevir, given its similarity to telaprevir.
Clinical trials involving cats
Authors: Gruen Margaret E , Jiamachello Katrina N , Thomson Andrea , Lascelles B Duncan X
Published: June 2014

Study rationale:

Clinical trials are frequently hindered by difficulties in recruiting eligible participants, increasing the timeline and limiting generalizability of results. In veterinary medicine, where proxy enrollment is required, no studies have detailed what factors influence owner participation in clinical trials involving cats. We aimed to investigate these factors through a survey of owners at first opinion practices.

Protocol:

The survey was designed using feedback from a pilot study and input from clinical researchers. Owners were asked demographic questions and whether they would, would not, or were unsure about participating in a clinical trial with their cat. They then ranked the importance and influence of various factors on participation using a five-point Likert-type scale, and incentives from most to least encouraging. A total of 413 surveys were distributed to cat owners at four hospitals, two feline-only and two multi-species; 88.6% were completed. Data for importance and influence factors as well as incentive rankings were analyzed overall, and by hospital type, location and whether owners would consider participating.

Findings:

The most influential factors were trust in the organization, benefit to the cat and veterinarian recommendation. Importance and influence factors varied by willingness to participate. Ranked incentives were not significantly different across groups, with ‘Free Services’ ranked highest.

Relevance:

This study provides a first look at what factors influence participation in clinical trials with cats. Given the importance placed in the recommendation of veterinarians, continued work is needed to determine veterinarian-related factors affecting clinical trial participation. The results provide guidance towards improved clinical trial design, promotion and education.
Some innovative surface texturing techniques for tribological purposes
Authors: Costa HL , Hutchings IM
Published: June 2014

This paper reviews methods for texturing surfaces for tribological applications and presents some innovative methods that could make surface texturing more cost-effective. Possible texturing methods were identified and classified according to their physical principles. This involved identifying existing texturing methods and also led to proposals for new possible methods. Three innovative texturing methods with low cost and high texturing speed are then presented: (i) a simpler and cheaper version of photochemical texturing, (ii) maskless electrochemical texturing, and (iii) masking surfaces by ink-jet printing followed by etching. From these, maskless electrochemical texturing was the cheapest and fastest, but the minimum size of the texture features was the largest. Ink-jet printing followed by etching is an alternative that may potentially provide a good combination of cost and resolution, but the texturing time depends on the surface area. Then, an attempt was made to delimit tribological applications where the use of such processes could be beneficial, based on analysis of experimental results of their tribological evaluation. These showed that the methods proposed could be particularly suited for components with contact areas larger than the width of the texture features under either hydrodynamic lubrication or starved lubrication.
Friction measurement indicating the transition between fully flooded and starved regimes in elasto-hydrodynamic lubrication
Authors: Berthe L , Adams-Chaves A , Lubrecht AA
Published: June 2014

Lubricant starvation in rolling element bearings can have different origins, such as high speed, large size or grease lubrication. However, the overall result is a performance reduction, involving a friction increase, a bearing life decrease or both. As such it is desirable to be able to predict when starvation will occur for a certain combination of geometry, operating conditions and lubricant. Previous work used optical interferometry to predict the onset of starvation and the ensuing oil film thickness reduction. A starvation parameter was derived linking lubrication parameters (viscosity), amount of oil and operating conditions (load, speed) to predict the onset of starvation. The current paper attempts to predict the onset of starvation through friction measurements on a ball-on-disc test device. The starvation parameter values obtained from friction measurements are similar to the ones found through optical interferometry.
Jaceosidin, a natural flavone, promotes angiogenesis via activation of VEGFR2/FAK/PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathways in endothelial cells
Authors: Lee Tae Hoon , Jung Hana , Park Keun Hyung , Bang Myun Ho , Baek Nam-In , Kim Jiyoung
Published: June 2014

Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, plays an important role in physiological and pathological processes such as embryonic development wound healing and revascularization of tissues after exposure to ischemia. We investigated the effects of jaceosidin, a main constituent of medicinal herbs of the genus Artemisia, on angiogenesis and signaling pathways in endothelial cells. Jaceosidin stimulated proliferation, migration and tubulogenesis of ECs as well as ex vivo sprouting from aorta rings, which are phenomena typical of angiogenesis. Jaceosidin activated vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2, FLk-1/KDR) and angiogenic signaling molecules such as focal adhesion kinase, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and its downstream target, the serine-threonine kinase AKTWe also demonstrated that jaceosidin activated the NF-κB-driven expression of a luciferase reporter gene and NF-κB binding to DNA. Jaceosidin-induced proliferation and migration of human umbilical vascular endothelial cells were strongly inhibited by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 and NF-κB inhibitor BAY11-7082, indicating that the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway is involved in jaceosidin-induced angiogenesis. Our results suggest that jaceosidin stimulates angiogenesis by activating the VEGFR2/FAK/PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway and that it may be useful in developing angiogenic agents to promote the growth of collateral blood vessels in ischemic tissues.
The Impact of Observer Characteristics on Blame Assessments of Prostituted Female Youth
Authors: Franklin Cortney A. , Menaker Tasha A.
Published: June 2014

Currently, two studies have examined perceptions of prostituted youth and factors associated with negative assessments. The male- and majority-race nature of criminal justice agencies and research on rape victim culpability attributions underscores the importance of addressing perceptions of this population as paramount to effective intervention. This research used 357 student survey responses to investigate observer characteristics correlated with blameworthiness assessments. Findings demonstrated sexist attitudes and observer race correlated with blameworthiness directed toward prostituted youth with no victimization history disclosure, and prostitution myth adherence and observer childhood abuse correlated with blameworthiness directed toward prostituted youth whose victimization history was disclosed. Research and policy implications are discussed.