bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptive attitude tracking control of a 3-degrees-of-freedom experimental helicopter with actuator dead-zone
Authors: Li Chuang , Yang Xuebo , Xiao Bing
Published: July 2018

In this article, the attitude tracking problem of a three rotational degrees-of-freedom experimental helicopter is studied based on adaptive fuzzy control method. The system unmodeled dynamics, external disturbances, and actuator dead-zone fault are taken into consideration simultaneously. The uncertainties and the faults are compensated by resorting to the fuzzy logic system. Based on adaptive backstepping technique and Lyapunov stability theory, state feedback controllers are designed such that the reference signals can be tracked by the elevation and pitch angles, respectively, within small errors. Finally, experimental results are given to demonstrate the reliability of the proposed method.
Sibyl Horner, Sydney Alexander Henry, and occupational skin disease
Authors: Waldron Tony
Published: July 2018

Occupational skin disease was, and remains, a major cause of morbidity, accounting for many thousands of hours lost from work each year. Investigating the causes, and seeking preventive measures, occupied much of the time of the early Medical Inspectors of Factories. Two of the inspectors, Sydney Henry and Sibyl Horner, became specialists in certain types of skin disease.
Curriculum under Siege
Authors: Hegde Rupamanjari
Published: July 2018

Citizenship education being central to the process of nation-building, changing political regimes promote a re-imagination of the ‘ideal’ citizen. A perusal of the successive national curriculum frameworks introduced by the NCERT (1975–2005) shows how curricula and textbooks have been repeatedly re-designed to suit the requirements of changing political regimes, throwing up contesting visions of citizenship and nationhood. While this explains the seemingly inevitable state-curricular linkage, the announcement made by the current political dispensation regarding an urgent need for drastic reduction of the curricular load at the school level raises serious concerns. It is widely speculated that the current ruling dispensation supported by its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is going to introduce curricular reforms aimed at reshaping the national identity in accordance with its ideological framework. As during the previous NDA regime (1998–2004), this would not only severely damage the multicultural narrative of India’s past and present, but would also pose a serious challenge to the very idea of India.
Education for Sustainable Development and Conceptions of Environmental Education in Brazil: Possible Approaches
Authors: Nogueira Christiano
Published: July 2018

This article presents an approach between education for sustainable development (ESD) based on the concept of sustainable development (SD) and the main concepts of environmental education (EE) in Brazil. In these approaches, the theoretical fundamentals of these conceptions of EE were analysed with a view to the possibility of promoting ESD through an educational process considered as a result of social relations that con- template the historical, social, economic and political dimensions of the subjects. It was verified that some conceptions of EE may be approaches to ESD and others incompatible due to the critical process of analysis of the relations between society and nature. The possibility of an ESD with aspects that enable the understanding of the contradictions of capitalism in order to promote changes and obtain a society focused on the basic human needs that allow an environmental balance was also considered.
Update on Palliative Care for Pediatric Neurology
Authors: Lyons-Warren Ariel M.
Published: July 2018

It has long been recognized that patients with neurological conditions, and particularly pediatric neurology patients, are well suited for palliative care because they frequently have a high symptom burden and variable prognoses. In 1996, the American Academy of neurology formally recognized a need for neurologists to “understand and apply the principles of palliative medicine.” Subsequently, some reviews have proposed a simultaneous care model in which palliative care is integrated for all neurology patients from the time of diagnosis. This article will review the current status of palliative care in pediatric neurology and discuss barriers to its integration.
Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma of the Ampulla of Vater With Focal Neuroendocrine Differentiation of the Amphicrine Type: Report of a Case With Long-Term Survival
Authors: Fornelli Adele , Zanini Nicola , De Biase Dario , Lega Stefania , Lombardi Raffaele , Masetti Michele , Jovine Elio , Fabbri Carlo , Larghi Alberto
Published: July 2018

Carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater is an uncommon neoplasm and represents 0.5% of all gastrointestinal malignancies, being less common than carcinoma of the pancreas and bile ducts. The most common ampullary tumor is the adenocarcinoma with tubular growth pattern. Signet ring cell carcinoma is extremely rare. In this article, we report a case of signet ring cell carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater showing focal neuroendocrine amphicrine differentiation and intestinal phenotype, which occurred in a 49-year-old male who is still alive 7 years after surgery, without evidence of recurrence. This long-term survival might be attributed not only to the early stage of the disease but also to the neuroendocrine differentiation and the absence of genetic alterations.
Does Risk Adjustment Reduce Vaccination in the Elderly? Evidence From Medicare Advantage
Authors: Lissenden Brett , Balkrishnan Rajesh
Published: July 2018

To combat risk selection, it is becoming increasingly common for payments to insurers (and providers) to adjust for patients’ chronic conditions. A possible unintended negative consequence is to reduce insurers’ (and providers’) incentives to prevent chronic conditions. This study examined the effect of Medicare’s risk adjustment for payments to Medicare Advantage plans, first introduced in 2004, on pneumonia and influenza vaccination for the elderly. The analysis used the 2000 through 2010 waves of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey and a difference-in-differences approach. Presumably by decreasing Medicare Advantage plans’ positive influence on vaccination, Medicare’s risk adjustment policy was estimated to have reduced pneumonia vaccination rates by 2.9 percentage points (4%, p = .039) and to have possibly reduced influenza vaccination rates by 2.2 percentage points (3%, p = .096). The results clarify an argument against including vaccine-preventable conditions, like pneumonia, in a risk adjustment model.
Evaluating a voriconazole dose modification guideline to optimize dosing in patients with hematologic malignancies
Authors: Perreault Sarah , McManus Dayna , Anderson Anthony , Lin Tiffany , Ruggero Michael , Topal Jeffrey E
Published: July 2018

Background

Voriconazole is an azole antifungal utilized for prophylaxis and treatment of invasive fungal infections in hematologic patients. Previous studies have revealed decreased efficacy and increased toxicity with subtherapeutic <1 mcg/mL and supratherapeutic > 4 mcg/mL levels. A voriconazole dose modification guideline was introduced in July 2014 based on a retrospective analysis.

Objective

The primary objective was to evaluate the voriconazole dose modification guideline. Secondary objectives were to identify patient-specific characteristics that contribute to inadequate levels, adverse effects, and breakthrough invasive fungal infections.

Methods

This prospective study included 128 patients with 250 admissions who received voriconazole from July 2014 to February 2016. Eligible adult patients receiving voriconazole for prophylaxis or treatment with at least one trough level, drawn appropriately, were included. Demographics, adverse effects, and breakthrough invasive fungal infections were documented.

Results

Voriconazole use was categorized as: new start, new start with loading dose, or continuation of home therapy. The median initial levels were 1.5, 3.5, and 1.7 mcg/mL with 62% (73/119), 55% (6/11), and 60% (72/120) within the therapeutic range, respectively. Using the voriconazole dose modification guideline, 80% were within goal by the second dose adjustment. Age ≤ 30 and BMI ≤ 25 kg/m2 had higher rates of subtherapeutic levels in the new start cohorts ( p = 0.024 and p = 0.009). Approximately 7.6% of patients experienced an adverse effect with neurologic/psychological being the most common. A total of 8.5% of patients had a possible, probable or proven breakthrough invasive fungal infections while on voriconazole.

Conclusion

Using the voriconazole dose modification guideline, the number of patients that reached therapeutic range improved from 36% to 80% by the second dose adjustment ( p = 0.007). This voriconazole dose modification guideline can be utilized to help dose and adjust voriconazole in order to achieve therapeutic levels.
To do or not to do: A concise update of current clinical controversies in immune checkpoint blockade
Authors: Chung Clement
Published: July 2018

Although programmed death-ligand 1 is currently the best available biomarker for first-line therapy with pembrolizumab for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and is a required companion test approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, programmed death-ligand 1 testing is an option (as a complementary test) for patients treated with nivolumab, atezolizumab, and durvalumab. Programmed death-ligand 1 expression is continuously variable and dynamic in the tumor microenvironment. Due to the complex molecular and cellular interactions involved in immune response, a single biomarker may not be sufficient to predict response to cancer immunotherapy. Integration of multiple tumor, immune response, and genomic parameters is likely to influence the future interpretation of biomarker-based treatment outcomes. This article, in a case-based format, concisely summarizes most up-to-date evidence in answering some commonly seen clinical controversies of cancer immunotherapy, in terms of (i) the predictive value of programmed death-ligand 1 as a biomarker; (ii) whether the use of steroids with checkpoint inhibitors will decrease efficacy of the latter; (iii) selection of patients for cancer immunotherapy based on immune-based response criteria, and (iv) whether the use of influenza vaccine with checkpoint inhibitors is considered safe. Until more robust, long-term prospective clinical data are available, these discussions may serve as a starting point for pharmacists to gain timely and effective management of these realistic issues.
A Randomized Controlled Study of a Cognitive Behavioral Planning Intervention for College Students With ADHD: An Effectiveness Study in Student Counseling Services in Flanders
Authors: Van der Oord S. , Boyer B. E. , Van dyck Lotte , Mackay K. J. , De Meyer H. , Baeyens D.
Published: July 2018

Objective: The effectiveness of a short (six session) individual cognitive behavioral planning intervention for college students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was tested. Method: In three student counseling services in Flanders, individuals with ADHD ( N = 58) were randomized to the intervention or waitlist condition. Pre- and posttreatment assessments were conducted, and within the intervention group, a 4-month follow-up was conducted. Primary outcomes were ADHD symptoms and study skills; secondary outcomes were comorbid symptoms and planning skills on a neuropsychological task. Results: Intent-to-treat analyses showed a significant interaction on one outcome: inattention symptoms. The treatment condition improved from pretest to posttest, whereas the waitlist did not. Other measures showed large significant time effects (improved skills, reduction of symptoms in both groups) but no interactions. Stability analyses were not possible due to substantial dropout at follow-up. Conclusion: Specific treatment effects are on one outcome (inattention) and modest; for further implementation, the treatment needs adaptation.
Theoretical Mediators of RealConsent: A Web-Based Sexual Violence Prevention and Bystander Education Program
Authors: Salazar Laura F. , Vivolo-Kantor Alana , Schipani-McLaughlin Anne Marie
Published: July 2018

This study examined the process by which a web-based sexual violence (SV) prevention program (i.e., RealConsent) prevents SV perpetration and increases bystander behaviors. Data from 743 college men who participated in a randomized controlled trial were analyzed. Simple and multiple-mediation models were estimated, using several theoretical constructs to assess the mechanisms through which RealConsent produced significant effects on SV perpetration and prosocial bystander or intervening behaviors. The results indicated that knowledge of effective consent for sex, hostility toward women, date rape attitudes, and hyper-gender male ideology significantly mediated the effects of RealConsent on SV perpetration in the multiple-mediator model. Furthermore, intentions to intervene significantly mediated the effects of RealConsent on prosocial bystander behaviors in the multiple-mediator model. The results show that the RealConsent program works to prevent SV perpetration and prosocial bystander behaviors via several theoretically proposed mediators central to the development and content of the program. The results also provide strong evidence that SV and bystander education for college men may benefit from including an explicit focus on decreasing negative norms related to women (e.g., hostility, date rape attitudes, hyper-gender ideology) and through increasing college men’s knowledge of consent and intentions to intervene.
Unveiling endogeneity and temporal dependence between tourism revenues/expenditures and macroeconomic variables in Brazil: A stochastic hidden Markov model approach
Authors: Wanke Peter , Figueiredo Otávio Henrique dos Santos , Moreira Antunes Jorge Junio
Published: July 2018

Thus far, a comprehensive analysis on the feedback processes that may exist between macroeconomic variables and tourism activity in Brazil is still missing. This article fills this literature gap by analyzing the endogenous and temporally dependent pattern between Brazilian monthly tourism revenue/expenditures and macroeconomic variables over 20 years. A novel stochastic hidden Markov model approach reveals the feedback processes that exist between them. While tourism revenues are autocorrelated and impacted by gross domestic product (GDP) growth, tourism expenditures are detached from any macroeconomic variable, but are rather directly dependent on tourism revenues past performance, which also exert an impact on exchange rates and GDP growth, thus indirectly benefiting tourism expenditures abroad. Policy implications in terms of a specific tourism exchange rate for Brazil are derived in order to sustain tourism expenditures apart from tourism revenue flows.
Does international tourism spur international trade and output? Evidence from wavelet analysis
Authors: Kumar Mukesh , Prashar Sanjeev , Jana RK
Published: July 2018

In this article, we attempt to examine the nexus of trade, economic growth, and international tourism. We resort to wavelet-based analysis to capture the time–frequency-based lead–lag dynamics of this nexus. Considering the monthly data spanning from January 1999 to February 2018 for the United States, we find the evidence that (a) increasing trade leads to higher tourist inflows (in terms of receipts), (b) tourist receipts are lagged by economic growth, and (c) these relationships are significant in the long term. We believe that these results are crucial for policymakers to frame policies regarding tourism in the United States.
The impact of implementation support on the use of a social engagement intervention for children with autism in public schools
Authors: Locke Jill , Shih Wendy , Kang-Yi Christina D , Caramanico Julie , Shingledecker Travis , Gibson Jordan , Frederick Lindsay , Mandell David S
Published: July 2018

Several interventions have demonstrated efficacy in improving social outcomes for children with autism; however, few have been successfully implemented in schools. This study compared two implementation strategies to improve the use of a social engagement intervention for children with autism in public schools. In total, 31 children with autism in grades K-5 and 28 school personnel participated in a randomized controlled trial. Schools were randomized to (1) training in Remaking Recess, a social engagement intervention, or (2) training in Remaking Recess with implementation support. Linear regression with random effects was used to test the intervention effects on implementation fidelity and social outcomes (peer engagement, social network inclusion, and friendship nominations). In both groups, implementation fidelity improved after training but remained low. Children in the Remaking Recess with implementation support condition had significantly higher social network inclusion and received more friendship nominations than children in the Remaking Recess–only condition (p = 0.03). Children in both groups experienced reduced solitary engagement (p < 0.001) and increased joint engagement (p < 0.001). The results suggest that implementation supports may have an effect on outcomes above and beyond the intervention, and that further research is needed into the active intervention mechanisms.
To follow a rule? On frontline clinicians’ understandings and embodiments of hospital-acquired infection prevention and control rules
Authors: Iedema Rick , Jorm Christine , Hooker Claire , Hor Su-Yin , Wyer Mary , Gilbert Gwendolyn L
Published: July 2018

This article reports on a study of clinicians’ responses to footage of their enactments of infection prevention and control. The study’s approach was to elicit clinicians’ reflections on and clarifications about the connections among infection control activities and infection control rules, taking into account their awareness, interpretation and in situ application of those rules. The findings of the study are that clinicians responded to footage of their own infection prevention and control practices by articulating previously unheeded tensions and constraints including infection control rules that were incomplete, undergoing change, and conflicting; material obstructions limiting infection control efforts; and habituated and divergent rule enactments and rule interpretations that were problematic but disregarded. The reflexive process is shown to elicit clinicians’ learning about these complexities as they affect the accomplishment of effective infection control. The process is further shown to strengthen clinicians’ appreciation of infection control as necessitating deliberation to decide what are locally appropriate standards, interpretations, assumptions, habituations and enactments of infection control. The article concludes that clinicians’ ‘practical wisdom’ is unlikely to reach its full potential without video-assisted scrutiny of and deliberation about in situ clinical work. This enables clinicians to anchor their in situ enactments, reasonings and interpretations to local agreements about the intent, applicability, limits and practical enactment of rules.
The emergence and transformation of self-determination claims in Hong Kong and Catalonia: A historical institutionalist perspective
Authors: Lecours André , Dupré Jean-François
Published: July 2018

Using a historical institutionalist framework emphasizing the importance of transformative events, this paper seeks to explain the sudden emergence of self-determination claims in Hong Kong and their transformation into separatist ones in Catalonia. The paper argues that the inflexibility of the state in addressing moderate demands for regional autonomy has played a major role in the emergence and radicalization of these demands. In Hong Kong, the 1997 Handover from British to Chinese sovereignty was originally presented as an opportunity for self-governance under the principle of “Hong Kong People ruling Hong Kong” and the “One Country, Two Systems” formula. If Hong Kong nationalism was practically unheard of in the early years of the Handover, the unconciliatory attitude of the central government towards moderate demands for the actualization of the autonomy and democratization frameworks vested in Hong Kong’s Basic Law has directly contributed to the formation of today’s emerging self-determination movement. In Catalonia, the 2010 decision of the Spanish Constitutional Court to annul some articles of the reform to the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia and to interpret others narrowly represented a transformative event that took Catalonia onto the pathway of secessionist politics. The secessionist turn was then further fed by the on-going refusal of the central government to negotiate with the Catalan government, notably on the notion of a popular consultation on the political future of the Autonomous Community.
Tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand expression in patients with diabetic nephropathy
Authors: Chang Wei-wei , Liang Wei , Yao Xin-ming , Zhang Liu , Zhu Li-jun , Yan Chen , Jin Yue-long , Yao Ying-shui
Published: July 2018

Objective:

The objective of this study was to evaluate the expression profile of tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN).

Methods:

A total of 126 Chinese subjects were enrolled in this study, including 42 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), 42 patients with DN and 42 healthy controls. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze levels of TRAIL mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Serum levels of soluble TRAIL (sTRAIL) and various cytokines were detected with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.

Results:

Compared with the control group, the levels of TRAIL mRNA in PBMCs and sTRAIL in sera were both significantly decreased in the DM and DN patients ( P < 0.05). Conversely, levels of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-α and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 were higher in the DN group than in the control group. Serum levels of TRAIL positively correlated with TRAIL mRNA levels in all of the subjects examined ( P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

These results provide support and a theoretical basis for further research of TRAIL in regard to the pathogenesis of DN.
The conjunctural spaces of ‘new India’: imagined geographies of 2010s India in representations by returnee migrants
Authors: Mendes Ana Cristina , Lau Lisa
Published: July 2018

Focusing on returnee Indian authors, this article contributes to analytical perspectives on imagined geographies. We map the imagined geographies of 2010s Delhi and India as experienced and created by Indian returnee migrant authors, drawing on the hybrid nonfiction works India Becoming: A Portrait of Life in Modern India by Akash Kapur and Capital: The Eruption of Delhi by Rana Dasgupta. Juxtaposed, these texts sited on the borderline between fiction and nonfiction construct and produce knowledge on an imagined ‘new India’, textualised in literary form. Kapur and Dasgupta, having returned from long sojourns in the West are now India-based, privileged observers of and participants in the very subject of their study – the ground realities of contemporary, 21st century India – both temporally and geographically. As diasporic narrators of a ‘new India’, they stand within their physical landscapes as well as the created landscapes of their narrations. This article draws on the construction of imagined geographies, with a focus on the issue of affect and, relatedly, identification, desire, and transgression, and their impact on the representation of an imaginary homeland, to unpack the tension and dissonance between their imagined geographies of India – as residents and as members of the diaspora – and their lived geographies. We conclude that Kapur and Dasgupta’s imagined geographies offer an alternative account of the contemporary processes that geographers are seeking to describe and explain. Not only do their imagined geographies impact reality but also construct new worlds and realities of ‘new India’ in literary representation. Their hybrid nonfiction texts position India globally, carefully un-glamorising the binary representations of ‘India Shining’ and ‘Dark India’, and recovering the multiplicity of presences in the conjunctural spaces of ‘new India’.
Application of Bayesian statistical method in sensitivity-based seismic damage identification of structures: Numerical and experimental validation
Authors: Vahedi Maryam , Khoshnoudian Faramarz , Hsu Ting Yu
Published: July 2018

Most of the developed sensitivity-based damage detection methods are based on the application of external excitations which could be prohibitive due to infeasible excitation of all structural degrees of freedom. In this regard, identification of damage properties using seismic structural response would be advantageous. In this research, sensitivity-based finite element model updating method is proposed to identify structural damage by earthquake response in the frequency domain and the transfer function of the structure due to ground excitation. The obtained sensitivity equation is solved by linear least square method through defining constraints on the design variables. Since the attainable measured data are restricted by limits on the instrumentations and preciseness of the measurements and due to the fact that only a few of the lower modes of a structure can generally be determined with confidence, a Bayesian statistical method is utilized to enhance the reliability of the predicted damage properties. The proposed technique is applied to a numerical frame model and an experimental six-story steel structure with various scenarios of story stiffness reduction. The results are indicative of the capability of the proposed method for identification of damage location and severity.
Women’s Views About a Paternal Consent Requirement for Biomedical Research in Pregnancy
Authors: Sullivan Kristen A. , Little Maggie , Rosenberg Nora E. , Mtande Tiwonge , Zimba Chifundo , Jaffe Elana , Anderson Jean , Coleman Jenell S. , Gilbert Sappho , Gross Wolf Marielle S. , Hoffman Irving , Rahangdale Lisa , Faden Ruth , Lyerly Anne Drapkin
Published: July 2018

Clinical research to inform the evidence base to guide nonobstetrical care during pregnancy is critically important for the well-being of women and their future offspring. Conversations about regulations for such research, including whether paternal consent should ever be required, should be informed by the perspectives of those most affected, namely, pregnant women. We conducted in-depth interviews with 140 pregnant women living with or at risk of HIV—70 in Malawi, 70 in the United States—exploring their views on requiring paternal consent for pregnant women’s participation in trials offering the prospect of direct benefit solely to the fetus. The majority of women supported such a requirement; others raised concerns. A trio of themes—the father’s or pregnant woman’s rights, fetal protection, and gender/relationship dynamics—characterized views both supporting and against a paternal consent requirement, expanding the range of considerations that should inform approaches to paternal involvement in research with pregnant women.
Perioperative Pain Control in Upper Extremity Surgery: Prescribing Patterns, Recent Developments, and Opioid-Sparing Treatment Strategies
Authors: Labrum Joseph T. , Ilyas Asif M.
Published: July 2018

Background: Perioperative pain management in hand and upper extremity surgery has become increasingly challenging following recent efforts to accelerate postoperative recovery, decrease length of stay, and maximize the number and complexity of surgical interventions provided in an ambulatory setting. This issue has been further complicated by the growing opioid epidemic in the United States and increasing insights into its detrimental effects on society. Practicing hand surgeons must acknowledge this ongoing public health crisis and adapt their clinical practices to minimize and optimize distribution of prescription opioids. Methods/Results: This review outlines current opioid prescribing patterns, recent developments, and treatment strategies designed to maintain effective perioperative analgesia in orthopedic upper extremity surgery while minimizing opioid delivery available for diversion, misuse, and abuse. Conclusions: The authors advise hand surgeons to utilize the strategies discussed in this review to assist in forming a unique, patient-specific postoperative analgesic regimen.
Prospective Evaluation of a Single Corticosteroid Injection in Radial Tunnel Syndrome
Authors: Marchese Joseph , Coyle Kathleen , Cote Mark , Wolf Jennifer Moriatis
Published: July 2018

Background: The role of corticosteroid injections in the treatment of radial tunnel syndrome (RTS) has not been evaluated in depth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of a single corticosteroid injection as a therapeutic modality for RTS. Methods: We enrolled 40 patients with a clinical diagnosis of RTS. Our primary outcome was the quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (qDASH) score at 1 year. Each patient was then treated with a single corticosteroid injection in the proximal forearm at the posterior interosseous nerve (PIN). Patient follow-up occurred at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year. Results: The cohort had a mean age of 49 years, and 35 patients completed 1 year of follow-up. Outcomes based on qDASH and visual analog scale (VAS) showed significant improvement from baseline, with mean qDASH decreasing from 49.4 ± 7.0 points to 35.8 ± 7.5 points ( P = .03) and 28.5 ± 7.3 points ( P = .01) at 12 and 52 weeks, respectively, and VAS decreasing from 6.0 ± 0.8 points to 3.4 ± 0.9 points ( P = .005) and 2.9 ± 0.8 points ( P = .003) at 12 and 52 weeks, respectively. During the study period, 8 of 35 patients (23%) failed nonoperative treatment and went on to surgical decompression of the PIN. A minimal clinically important difference in qDASH was achieved in 57% of subjects at 1-year follow-up. Conclusions: Nonoperative management with corticosteroid injection can be used as a therapeutic measure with potential long-term benefits in the treatment of RTS.
Simplified analysis of large deflections for metal sandwich plates with various lattice cores subjected to impulsive loading
Authors: Zhang Wei , Qin Qinghua , Zhang Jianxun , Chen Shangjun , Xu Zili
Published: July 2018

A new simplified analysis is carried out to predict the dynamic response of clamped metal sandwich plates with various lattice cores subjected to impulsive loading. Based on the yield condition for sandwich plate cross-section, the interaction of bending moment and axial force for the section is decoupled. The simplified analytical solutions of the maximum midspan deflection and structural response time are obtained. Moreover, neglecting the effect of bending moment, a simplified plastic-string model is developed. Comparisons of the present theoretical predictions with previous analytical and numerical results are conducted and good agreement is achieved for a wide range of sandwich core topologies.
Game-play characteristics differ between the European Super League and the National Rugby League: Implications for coaching and talent recruitment
Authors: Woods Carl T , Leicht Anthony S , Jones Ben , Till Kevin
Published: July 2018

Objectives

To compare the game-play characteristics between the European Super League and the National Rugby League competitions.

Methods

Eleven team performance indicators were extracted from each match played by every European Super League and National Rugby League team over their respective 2016 season. Data were averaged, classified according to competition (two levels: European Super League and National Rugby League) and modelled using univariate and multivariate techniques. Specifically, effect size statistics enabled between group comparisons, while non-metric multidimensional scaling enabled multivariate insights into competition dissimilarity.

Results

Seven of the 11 performance indicators showed ‘large’ to ‘very large’ effects. Notably, National Rugby League game-play generated fewer ‘line breaks’, ‘errors’, ‘tackles’ and ‘dummy half runs’ relative to European Super League game-play ( d > 1.2). Despite the National Rugby League generating fewer ‘all runs’ ( d = 1.27 [0.57–1.95]), game-play in this competition generated greater ‘all run distances’ relative to the European Super League ( d = 1.78 [1.02–2.51]). Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed clear multivariate competition dissimilarity, with European Super League and National Rugby League teams orienting distinctive positions on the ordination surface. Further, there was a greater spread in the relative positioning of National Rugby League teams compared to European Super League teams, indicating greater team dissimilarity within the National Rugby League.

Conclusions

Our observations may be explained by differing competition rule interpretations, in addition to differing game strategies and player skill capabilities. Both coaches and talent recruitment managers associated with these competitions may consider our data to assist with the identification and recruitment of suitable players from these respective competitions.
Exploring social presence within an online course using Twitter
Authors: Baisley-Nodine Ellen , Ritzhaupt Albert D , Antonenko Pavlo D
Published: July 2018

This study examined the use of Twitter for online discussions in one asynchronous online, journalism class. A content analysis of the transcripts of the tweets from 25 undergraduate students was performed, coding for social presence using the social presence density measurement tool, one of the three aspects of the community of inquiry framework. Participants generated 1096 unique tweets over a 12-week course. Additionally, the community of inquiry survey was administered at the end of the course. Internal consistency measures and correlation analysis were used to identify the relationships between the social presence density scores and the community of inquiry survey results, which showed significant positive relationships exist between teaching, cognitive, and social presence, and the nature of the tweets. Results also underscored that social presence could be established on a micro-blogging platform, making it a potentially useful tool in an online learning environment.
Promoting Intercultural Competence in Bilingual Programs in Indonesia
Authors: Abduh Amirullah , Rosmaladewi Rosmaladewi
Published: July 2018

Most studies of intercultural competence in bilingual programs have been conducted in non-Asian contexts resulting in little information on how Indonesian educators promote intercultural values within bilingual programs. This research contributes to the body of literature that examines the promotion of intercultural values within bilingual higher education in Indonesia. It focuses on lecturers’ perceptions of their strategies to teach and promote intercultural values in Indonesian higher education institutions (IHEIs). Data collection employed in-depth semi-structure interviews of eight lecturers that teach in three different programs: Math; Economic and Political Science bilingual programs. The findings of this study show that intercultural competent components include open-minded attitudes, reciprocal interaction, and respecting differences. In addition, two important strategies to promote intercultural competence are in-country programs and international intercultural programs. This study has implications for the success of similar programs and the ways to gain intercultural competence within higher education contexts.
Randomized Trial of Motivational Interviewing to Prevent Early Childhood Caries in American Indian Children
Authors: Batliner T.S. , Tiwari T. , Henderson W.G. , Wilson A.R. , Gregorich S.E. , Fehringer K.A. , Brega A.G. , Swyers E. , Zacher T. , Harper M.M. , Plunkett K. , Santo W. , Cheng N.F. , Shain S. , Rasmussen M. , Manson S.M. , Albino J.
Published: July 2018

Introduction:

In a randomized controlled trial, the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) combined with enhanced community services (MI + ECS) was compared with ECS alone for reducing dental caries in American Indian children on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The intervention was developed and delivered with extensive tribal collaboration.

Methods:

A total 579 mother-newborn dyads were enrolled and randomized to the MI + ECS and ECS groups. They were followed for 36 mo. Four MI sessions were provided, the first shortly after childbirth and then 6, 12, and 18 mo later. Both groups were exposed to ECS, which included public service announcements through billboards and tribal radio, as well as broad distribution of brochures on behavioral risk factors for early childhood caries (ECC), toothbrushes, and toothpaste. MI impact was measured as decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces (dmfs). Secondary outcomes included decayed surfaces, caries prevalence, and maternal oral health knowledge and behaviors. Modified intention-to-treat analyses were conducted. Eighty-eight percent of mothers completed at least 3 of 4 MI sessions offered.

Results:

After 3 y, dmfs was not significantly different for the 2 groups (MI + ECS = 10, ECS = 10.38, P = 0.68). In both groups, prevalence of caries experience was 7% to 9% after 1 y, 35% to 36% at 2 y, and 55% to 56% at 3 y. Mean knowledge scores increased by 5.0, 5.3, and 5.9 percentage points at years 1, 2, and 3 in the MI + ECS group and by 1.9, 3.3, and 5.0 percentage points in the ECS group (P = 0.03), respectively. Mean maternal oral health behavior scores were not statistically significantly different between the treatment arms.

Conclusion:

In summary, the MI intervention appeared to improve maternal knowledge but had no effect on oral health behaviors or on the progression of ECC (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01116726).

Knowledge Transfer Statement:

The findings of this study suggest that motivational interviewing focusing on parental behaviors may not be as effective as previously hoped for slowing the development of childhood caries in some high-risk groups. Furthermore, social factors may be even more salient determinants of oral health than what we previously supposed, perhaps interfering with the capacity to benefit from behavioral strategies that have been useful elsewhere. The improvement of children’s oral health in high-risk populations characterized by poverty and multiple related life stresses may require more holistic approaches that address these formidable barriers.
Hydrothermal alteration products in the vicinity of the Ahırözü kaolin deposits, Mihalıççık-Eskişehir,Turkey
Authors: Ömeroğlu Sayit Işil , Günal Türkmenoğlu Asuman , Sayin Ş. Ali , Demirci Cengiz
Published: July 2018

The mineralogy, texture and composition of rocks associated with the kaolin deposits in the Ahırözü-Hamidiye-Üçbaşlı area, SE of Mihalıççık, Eskişehir, Turkey, were investigated. In the study area, Triassic, blue-green schists and serpentinized ultramafic rocks are exposed. Kaolinization occurs at the contact between a Triassic granitic intrusion and metamorphic rocks. Textural and mineralogical characteristics were identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) analyses. The effects of hydrothermal alteration on the whole-rock chemical composition were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis. Homogenization temperature (Th, °C), salinity, (wt.% NaCl) and melting temperature (Tm, °C) were detected by fluid-inclusion analyses.

The argillic alteration zone (Zone A) includes kaolinite, smectite, natroalunite and accessory pyrite, hematite and goethite. This paragenesis corresponds to a low–intermediate argillic alteration caused by fluids having neutral to acidic pH, at a temperature of <200°C. The propylitic alteration zone (Zone B) is characterized by epidote, chlorite, illite and pyrite and was caused by fluids with a neutral pH and a temperature of >250°C. The rocks in Zone C are mainly silicified and represent sinter formation in the study area. The rocks in the kaolin deposit are depleted in Rb, Pb and Y and enriched in Cs, U and Sr, and represent the products of epithermal hydrothermal alteration of granitic intrusions emplaced in a volcanic arc.
The impact of patient choice on survival in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Quadery Syed Rehan , Swift Andrew J. , Billings Catherine G. , Thompson Alfred A.R. , Elliot Charles A. , Hurdman Judith , Charalampopoulos Athanasios , Sabroe Ian , Armstrong Iain J. , Hamilton Neil , Sephton Paul , Garrad Sian , Pepke-Zaba Joanna , Jenkins David P. , Screaton Nicholas , Rothman Alexander M. , Lawrie Allan , Cleveland Trevor , Thomas Steven , Rajaram Smitha , Hill Catherine , Davies Christine , Johns Christopher S. , Wild Jim M. , Condliffe Robin , Kiely David G.
Published: July 2018

Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is the gold standard treatment for operable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). However, a proportion of patients with operable disease decline surgery. There are currently no published data on this patient group. The aim of this study was to identify outcomes and prognostic factors in a large cohort of consecutive patients with CTEPH.

Data were collected for consecutive, treatment-naive CTEPH patients at the Pulmonary Vascular Disease Unit of the Royal Hallamshire Hospital (Sheffield, UK) between 2001 and 2014.

Of 550 CTEPH patients (mean±sdage 63±15 years, follow-up 4±3 years), 49% underwent surgery, 32% had technically operable disease and did not undergo surgery (including patient choice n=72 and unfit for surgery n=63), and 19% had inoperable disease due to disease distribution. The 5-year survival was superior in patients undergoing PEA (83%)versustechnically operable disease who did not undergo surgery (53%) and inoperable due to disease distribution (59%) (p<0.001). Survival was superior in patients following PEA compared with those offered but declining surgery (55%) (p<0.001). In patients offered PEA, independent prognostic factors included mixed venous oxygen saturation, gas transfer and patient decision to proceed to surgery.

Outcomes in CTEPH following PEA are excellent and superior to patients declining surgery, and strongly favour consideration of a surgical intervention in eligible patients.
Recurrence rates in primary spontaneous pneumothorax: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Walker Steven P. , Bibby Anna C. , Halford Paul , Stadon Louise , White Paul , Maskell Nick A.
Published: July 2018

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) recurrence rates vary widely in the published literature, with limited data describing the factors that influence recurrence. The aims of this systematic review were to determine an estimation of PSP recurrence rates and describe risk factors for recurrence.

A systematic review was conducted of all studies reporting PSP recurrence. Electronic searches were performed to identify English language publications of randomised trials and observational studies. The population was adults with PSP, who underwent conservative management, pleural aspiration or chest drainage. The outcome of interest was recurrence. Articles were screened and data extracted from eligible studies by two reviewers.

Of 3607 identified studies, 29 were eligible for inclusion, comprising 13 548 patients. Pooled 1-year and overall recurrence rates were 29.0% (95% CI 20.9–37.0%) and 32.1% (95% CI 27.0–37.2%), respectively. Female sex was associated with increased recurrence (OR 3.03, 95% CI 1.24–7.41), while smoking cessation was associated with a four-fold decrease in risk (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.10–0.63).I2for random effects meta-analysis was 94% (p<0.0001), reflecting high heterogeneity between studies.

This systematic review demonstrates a 32% PSP recurrence rate, with greatest risk in the first year. Female sex was associated with higher risk, suggesting possible sex-specific pathophysiology.
Overlooked benefits of consumer credit growth: impact on formal employment
Authors: Aşık Güneş A.
Published: July 2018

This paper investigates the role of consumer credit growth and expansion of consumer financial services on the reduction of informal employment in a developing country. I argue that financial services growth should lead to a decline in the share of informal employment given that consumers whose borrowing constraints are relaxed are more likely to purchase goods with consumer credit and more likely to demand formal contracts. I test this hypothesis by exploiting the regional variation in consumer credit growth in Turkey. In order to address the endogeneity of financial services, I employ minority population loss between 1893 and 1935 in as an instrument. The identification strategy relies on the fact that minorities were main users of financial instruments as they were the trading class in the former Ottoman Empire. The results provide evidence in favor of a positive causal impact of consumer credit growth on formal employment, especially on low-skilled labor.
Dietary Nitrate Enhances the Contractile Properties of Human Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Coggan Andrew R. , Peterson Linda R.
Published: July 2018

Dietary nitrate, a source of nitric oxide (NO), improves the contractile properties of human muscle. We present the hypothesis that this is due to nitrosylation of the ryanodine receptor and increased NO signaling via the soluble guanyl cyclase-cyclic guanosine monophosphate-protein kinase G pathway, which together increase the free intracellular Ca2+ concentration along with the Ca2+ sensitivity of the myofilaments themselves.
Associations between Changes in Activity and Sleep Quality and Duration over Two Years
Authors: RAYWARD ANNA T. , BURTON NICOLA W. , BROWN WENDY J. , HOLLIDAY ELIZABETH G. , PLOTNIKOFF RONALD C. , DUNCAN MITCH J.
Published: July 2018

Purpose

Insufficient physical activity (PA) and inadequate sleep quality (SQ) and sleep duration (SD) are highly prevalent behaviors that increase the risk of developing many chronic health conditions. Evidence regarding bidirectional relationships between PA, SQ, and SD is inconsistent. As changes in one of these behaviors may impact on the other, it is important to understand the nature of the bidirectional relationship between PA and sleep. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between changes in PA, SQ, and SD over a 2-yr period in middle-age adults.

Methods

Participants were adults age 42 to 72 yr from Brisbane, Australia. Mail surveys were used to assess PA, SQ, SD, sociodemographic and health characteristics in 2011 and 2013 (n = 3649). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between patterns of change in PA, SQ, and SD over the 2 yr.

Results

Improving or maintaining good SQ was associated with increasing or maintaining PA and maintaining PA was associated with maintaining or increasing SQ (P < 0.05). Changes in PA were not associated with changes in SD.

Conclusions

A bidirectional relationship between PA and SQ was identified; however, no evidence of a relationship in any direction between PA and SD was found. Multibehavior interventions targeting both PA and SQ are warranted. Middle-age adults with poor SQ may benefit from increasing PA and improving SQ may promote higher levels of activity.