bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Listening and interpersonal communication skills as predictors of resilience in occupational therapy students: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Brown Ted , Yu Mong-lin , Etherington Jamie
Published: March 2020

Introduction

This study investigated whether listening and communication skills are predictive of occupational therapy students’ resilience.

Method

135 third- and fourth-year undergraduate occupational therapy students (74% response rate) completed the Active-Empathetic Listening Scale, Listening Styles Profile – Revised, Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale, Resilience at University and Resilience Scale for Adults instruments. Linear regressions were completed with the Resilience at University and Resilience Scale for Adults subscales as the dependent variables and the Active-Empathetic Listening Scale, Listening Styles Profile – Revised and Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale subscales as the independent variables.

Results

Regression analysis identified significant predictors of students’ resilience. The Active-Empathetic Listening Scale: Sensing Listening accounted for 5% ( p =  .009) and 4.3% ( p =  .011) of the unique variance of Resilience at University: Find Your Calling and Living Authentically. Listening Styles Profile – Revised: Analytical Listening accounted for 4.4% ( p =  .022) and 2.7% ( p =  .038) of the unique variance of Resilience at University: Managing Stress and Maintaining Perspective. Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale: Self-Disclosure accounted for 6.7% ( p =  .003), 3.6% ( p =  .035) and 3.4% ( p =  .047) of the unique variance of Resilience Scale for Adults: Social Resources, Resilience at University: Maintaining Perspective and Resilience Scale for Adults: Planned Future. Interpersonal Communication Competence Scale: Social Relaxation accounted for 8.5% ( p =  .001) of the unique variance of Resilience Scale for Adults: Social Competence.

Conclusion

Components of listening and interpersonal communication were found to be significant predictors of resilience in occupational therapy students. Further investigation in this area of research is recommended.
Infection-Associated Opsoclonus: A Retrospective Case Record Analysis and Review of Literature
Authors: Saini Lokesh , Dhawan Sumeet R. , Madaan Priyanka , Suthar Renu , Saini Arushi Gahlot , Sahu Jitendra Kumar , Sankhyan Naveen
Published: March 2020

Opsoclonus, an uncommon clinical sign, and is often described in the context of opsoclonus myoclonus ataxia syndrome (OMAS). OMAS may be paraneoplastic or postinfectious. However, opsoclonus with or without OMAS may occur in association with a wide gamut of infections. Infection-associated opsoclonus/OMAS (IAO) needs recognition as a separate entity, since it demands relatively brief immunosuppression, symptomatic treatment, and has a better outcome.

Case records of children, who presented with opsoclonus to a tertiary-care teaching hospital of North India over a period of 1 year (2017-2018), were reviewed. Those with opsoclonus in the setting of an acute infection/febrile illness (symptomatic opsoclonus; IAO) were included. Of 15 children with opsoclonus, 6 children [median age: 42 months (range: 8 months to 7 years); 2 boys] had opsoclonus associated with an infective or febrile illness. Additional clinical findings in these children included myoclonus (n = 2), ataxia (n = 4) and behavioral abnormalities (n = 4). All these patients had an associated neurologic or nonneurologic illness- scrub typhus (n = 1), tuberculous meningitis (n = 1), mumps encephalitis (n = 1), brainstem encephalitis (n = 1), acute cerebellitis (n = 1), and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE, n = 1). Children with acute cerebellitis, brainstem encephalitis, and mumps encephalitis were treated with steroids while those with scrub typhus, tuberculosis, and SSPE were treated with antibiotics, antitubercular therapy, and Isoprinosine, respectively. None of them needed long-term maintenance immunotherapy. The evaluation for tumor was negative in all. Three of the 6 children are functionally normal at the last follow-up.

Acute neuro infections may trigger opsoclonus. A careful analysis of clinical data and suitable investigations can help differentiate these children from those with OMAS. This distinction may avoid unwarranted long-term immunosuppression.
Impact of Expansion of PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program From 2 to 4 Residents
Authors: Brophy Alison , Bente Jessica , Sobolewski Kristine , DeStefano Doug , Costello Jennifer
Published: March 2020

Purpose:

To evaluate the benefits of postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency program expansion on clinical outcomes, pharmacy services, educational outreach, costs, and preceptor time at a community teaching hospital.

Methods:

During academic years 2014 to 2016, two PGY1 resident positions existed, expanding to four PGY1 resident positions during 2016 to 2018. Quantitative analyses comparing the aforementioned periods evaluated clinical interventions, adverse drug events prevented, community and hospital educational programs provided, departmental costs, and documented preceptor hours as a result of program growth. The outcomes were assessed using descriptive statistics.

Results:

The mean number of documented clinical interventions completed by the resident classes with two residents was 2906 when compared to 5324 with four residents. The mean number of prevented adverse drug events was 56 during the years with two residents and 220 in the years with four residents. The number of community outreach programs increased from 2 to 18 per year. The number of resident lectures provided to allied health professionals increased from 11 to 16 sessions per year. The net economic impact associated with two residents in 2014 was +$4661 USD, while in 2017 the net impact was −$5262 USD. The mean preceptor hours spent per year related to residency activities with two residents was 1005 hours compared to 1109.5 hours with four residents.

Conclusion:

Through strategic modification, expansion of the PGY1 residency program led to increased documentation of clinical interventions, prevented adverse drug events, and educational programs provided with minimal change in preceptor burden.
Dynamic stability and bifurcation phenomena of an axially loaded flexible shaft-disk system supported by flexible bearing
Authors: Phadatare Hanmant P , Pratiher Barun
Published: March 2020

The present research studies the vibration and bifurcation analysis of a spinning rotor-disk-bearing system to carefully scrutinize the dynamic stability under extrinsic mass unbalance and pulsating axial load. The shaft is flexible and taken into account the geometrical nonlinearities due to large elastic deformation in bending. The rotor is supported by flexible bearings, which are modeled as an equivalent spring-damper system having linear and nonlinear stiffness elements. Equation of motion of the rotating system, which includes flexible shaft, rigid disk, and flexible bearing, is derived using extended Hamilton principle with the assumption of the Euler's beam theory. We studied initially the modal analysis to determine the modal parameters, i.e. natural frequency and mode shapes prior to the investigation of the dynamics of the system. Further, we developed the bifurcation diagram for steady-state solutions and to study the subsequent dynamic stability and verify with the findings solved numerically. The interactive behavior among the nonlinear shaft-bearing, axial load and an unbalance has been analyzed. Numerical simulation tools, i.e. frequency–response characteristics, time history, phase trajectories, and Poincaré map have been used to highlight the presence of nonlinear phenomena and its important role towards evaluating the system dynamics and subsequent stability. This current research showed that flexible bearings stabilize the system as a result of increasing the restoring force. Analyzing the bifurcation diagrams of pulsating axial load, we found that the system exhibits complex phenomena as multiple but stable periodic orbits leading to period doubling. The present system is highly vulnerable to catastrophic failure due to the S–N and Pitchfork bifurcation. The present research enables the notability of axial load and mechanical unbalance on the overall system behavior and stability in real working conditions.
A numerical simulation method for bionic fish self-propelled swimming under control based on deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Yan Lang , Chang Xinghua , Tian Runyu , Wang Nianhua , Zhang Laiping , Liu Wei
Published: March 2020

In order to simulate the under control self-propelled swimming of bionic fishes, a coupling method of hydrodynamics/kinematics/motion-control is presented in this paper. The Navier-Stokes equations in the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian framework are solved in parallel based on the computational domain decomposition to simulate the unsteady flow field efficiently. The flow dynamics is coupled with the fish dynamics in an implicit way by a dual-time stepping approach. In order to discretize the computational domain during a wide range maneuver, an overset grid approach with a parallel implicit hole-cutting technique is adopted and coupled with morphing hybrid grids around the undulation body. The motion control of the fish swimming is realized by a deep reinforcement learning algorithm, which makes the fish model choose proper undulation manner according to a specific purpose. By adding random disturbances in the training process of fish swimming along a straight line, a simplified two-dimensional fish model obtains the ability to swim along a specific trajectory. Then in subsequent tests, the two-dimensional fish model is able to swim along more complex curves with obstacles. Finally, the starting process of a three-dimensional tuna-like model is simulated preliminarily to validate the ability of the coupling method for three-dimensional complex configurations. The numerical results demonstrate that this study could be used to explore the swimming mechanism of fishes in complex environments and to guide how robotic fishes can be controlled to accomplish their tasks.
Thoughts on use of hydrogen to power railway trains
Authors: Atteridge William J , Lloyd Stephen Anthony
Published: March 2020

Nearly all energy generated eventually ends as a thermal release to atmosphere. The combination of all these sources of heat is warming the planet amid concerns over the consequences of this global warming. Most fuels are hydrocarbons and on combustion release carbon dioxide. This is a greenhouse gas and amplifies the effects of this warming, as does methane, a major constituent of natural gas, the prime gas fuel. The combustion of hydrocarbons can produce other pollutants such as CO, particulates and NOx which are injurious to health. One option for gas fuel users is to replace natural gas with hydrogen as hydrogen does not contain carbon thus eliminating many undesirable emissions. Here, the use of hydrogen at pressure, as a fuel for railway trains is examined and the consequences of its use presented. In the UK, a large amount of hydrogen will be needed if this is to be the sole gas fuel, but this is yet to be determined. However, there is a special application to which hydrogen can contribute – “hybrid” trains. These are essentially electricity-powered trains which use hydrogen as a fuel for low-speed application such as in marshalling yards or under cover in terminus stations where exhaust pollutants can accumulate. In addition, local low-speed trains, where traffic density is insufficient to justify electrification, can use fuel hydrogen. A statement of fixed plant costs to satisfy this potential hydrogen market as well as fuel running costs are included.
Anti-vimentin antibodies: a unique antibody class associated with therapy-resistant lupus nephritis
Authors: Kinloch Andrew J , Cascino Matthew D , Dai Jian , Bermea Rene S , Ko Kichul , Vesselits Margaret , Dragone Leonard L , Mor Vaknin Nirit , Legendre Maureen , Markovitz David M , Okoreeh Michael K , Townsend Michael J , Clark Marcus R
Published: March 2020

Background

Tubulointerstitial inflammation (TII) in lupus nephritis is associated with a worse prognosis. Vimentin, a filamental antigen, is commonly targeted by in situ activated B-cells in TII. The prognostic importance of high serum anti-vimentin antibodies (AVAs) in lupus nephritis and their relationship with common lupus autoantibody specificities is unknown. Herein we investigated associations between AVA isotypes, other autoantibodies, and response to mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in the presence or absence of rituximab.

Methods

The Translational Research Initiative in the Department of Medicine (TRIDOM) cross-sectional cohort of 99 lupus patients was assayed for IgG-, IgA- and IgM- AVAs, lupus-associated and rheumatoid arthritis-associated antibodies, and hierarchically clustered. Serum from baseline, 26 and 52 weeks from 132 Lupus Nephritis Assessment with Rituximab (LUNAR) trial enrolled lupus nephritis patients was also analysed and correlated with renal function up to week 78.

Results

In TRIDOM, AVAs, especially IgM AVAs, clustered with IgG anti-dsDNA and away from anti-Sm and -RNP and rheumatoid arthritis-associated antibodies. In LUNAR at baseline, AVAs correlated weakly with anti-dsDNA and more strongly with anticardiolipin titers. Regardless of treatment, IgG-, but not IgM- or IgA-, AVAs were higher at week 52 than at baseline. In contrast, anti-dsDNA titers declined, regardless of therapeutic regime. High IgG AVA titers at entry predicted less response to therapy.

Conclusion

AVAs, especially IgG AVAs, are unique in distribution and response to therapy compared with other commonly measured autoantibody specificities. Furthermore, high-titer IgG AVAs identify lupus nephritis patients resistant to conventional therapies. These data suggest that AVAs represent an independent class of prognostic autoantibodies.
A comparison of the performance of the 2019 European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology criteria and the 2012 Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics criteria with the 1997 American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematous in new-onset Chinese patients
Authors: Teng Jialin , Ye Junna , Zhou Zhuochao , Lu Cui , Chi Huihui , Cheng Xiaobing , Liu Honglei , Su Yutong , Shi Hui , Sun Yue , Yang Chengde
Published: March 2020

Background

New criteria published by the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) use a point system that gives varying weight to each of 22 criteria. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of the 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria and the 2012 Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) criteria with the 1997 ACR criteria in a Chinese cohort.

Methods

A cross-sectional observation study of patients with a clinical diagnosis of SLE was performed. We collected 199 new-onset SLE patients and 175 control subjects. The data were retrospectively collected to establish the patients who fulfilled the 1997 ACR, 2012 SLICC and 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria. The sensitivity and specificity of the three classification criteria were compared using McNemar’s test.

Results

The sensitivity and specificity of the 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria were 96.5% and 90.3%, respectively. For the 2012 SLICC criteria, the sensitivity and specificity were 92.0% and 84.0%, respectively, while for the 1997 ACR criteria, these two values were 75.4% and 96.0%. Leucopaenia (62%), arthritis (54%) and autoimmune haemolysis (45%) were the most frequently observed clinical manifestations in the group that fulfilled the 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria. Fever was reported by 39% of participants.

Conclusion

Compared with the 1997 ACR and 2012 SLICC criteria, the 2019 EULAR/ACR criteria performed best in terms of sensitivity but less well in terms of specificity in Chinese new-onset lupus patients.
Lung Tissue Damage Associated with Allergic Asthma in BALB/c Mice Could Be Controlled with a Single Injection of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Human Bone Marrow up to 14 d After Transplantation
Authors: Boldrini-Leite Lidiane Maria , Michelotto Pedro Vicente , de Moura Sérgio Adriane Bezerra , Capriglione Luiz Guilherme Achcar , Barussi Fernanda Cristina Mendes , Fragoso Felipe Yukio Ishikawa , Senegaglia Alexandra Cristina , Brofman Paulo Roberto Slud
Published: March 2020

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) research has demonstrated the potential of these cells to modulate lung inflammatory processes and tissue repair; however, the underlying mechanisms and treatment durability remain unknown. Here, we investigated the therapeutic potential of human bone marrow-derived MSCs in the inflammatory process and pulmonary remodeling of asthmatic BALB/c mice up to 14 d after transplantation. Our study used ovalbumin to induce allergic asthma in male BALB/c mice. MSCs were injected intratracheally in the asthma groups. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected, and cytology was performed to measure the total protein, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and proinflammatory (IL-5, IL-13, and IL-17A) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) interleukin (IL) levels. The lungs were removed for the histopathological evaluation. On day zero, the eosinophil and lymphochte percentages, total protein concentrations, and IL-13 and IL-17A levels in the BALF were significantly increased in the asthma group, proving the efficacy of the experimental model of allergic asthma. On day 7, the MSC-treated group exhibited significant reductions in the eosinophil, lymphocyte, total protein, H2O2, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-17A levels in the BALF, while the IL-10 levels were significantly increased. On day 14, the total cell numbers and lymphocyte, total protein, IL-13, and IL-17A levels in the BALF in the MSC-treated group were significantly decreased. A significant decrease in airway remodeling was observed on days 7 and 14 in almost all bronchioles, which showed reduced inflammatory infiltration, collagen deposition, muscle and epithelial thickening, and mucus production. These results demonstrate that treatment with a single injection of MSCs reduces the pathophysiological events occurring in an experimental model of allergic asthma by controlling the inflammatory process up to 14 d after transplantation.
Value discrepancies between nurses and patients: A survey study
Authors: Van Humbeeck Liesbeth , Malfait Simon , Holvoet Els , Vogelaers Dirk , De Pauw Michel , Van Den Noortgate Nele , Van Biesen Wim
Published: March 2020

Background

Patient-centeredness, respect for patient autonomy, and shared decision-making have now made it to center stage in discussions on quality of care. Knowing what actually counts in care and how it should be accomplished from the patients’ and nurses’ perspective seems crucial.

Aim

To explore how patients and their nurses perceive the importance and enactment of values in their healthcare.

Research design

An observational, cross-sectional study using a self-developed questionnaire, consisting of 15 items related to seven values (e.g. uniqueness, autonomy, professionalism, compassion, responsiveness, partnership, and empowerment) as described in the taxonomy of Bastemeijer et al.

Participants and research context

The survey was completed by 384 patients and 81 nurses. Participants were recruited on eight internal medicine wards of a 1000-bed university hospital in Belgium.

Ethical considerations

This study was approved by the ethical committee of the Ghent University Hospital (B670201836799).

Findings

(1) Patients and nurses prioritize values of care differently; (2) nurses report not being able to enact the values they prioritize in actual practice as much as one would like to; and (3) there is a gap in experienced delivery of a comprehensible explanation of all treatment options, a conversation based on equality, making shared decisions, and being non-judgmental between nurses and patients.

Discussion

Our findings challenge nurses’ overemphasis on professional compassion and uniqueness while arguing for increased attention on authentic shared decision-making and empowerment. The first step to a patient-centered culture truly involving patients in their healthcare is communication and information provision, rather than focusing on tangible and normative constructs.

Conclusion

Our findings revealed differences in prioritization and actual enactment of values in care between patients and nurses. This was especially so for values related to communication, provision of complete unbiased information, and shared decision-making. Nurses should prioritize providing comprehensible information and using conversations based on equality to make decision together with patients.
The Girl Rising ‘We Dream, We Rise’ Social Media Campaign in India: Reach, Engagement and Impact
Authors: Vyas Amita N. , Nagaraj Nitasha , Genovese Jordan , Malhotra Gayatri , Dubey Nidhi , Hingorani Richa , Manning Lauren
Published: March 2020

Girl Rising, a global campaign, uses the power of storytelling to build a movement for adolescent girls by inspiring people to change the way girls are valued, and sparking social action. We Dream, We Rise, is a social media campaign that was launched to call attention to age-old gender stereotypes that have gone unquestioned for generations and to inspire adults across the country to ‘dream as big for their girls as they do for their boys’. A descriptive evaluation of the campaign was conducted to measure its reach, saliency, and lessons learned. The campaign evaluation focused primarily on reach, engagement, perceptions of the campaign messaging, and intention to take social action. The campaign reached 25 million people, received more than 600,000 views, and engaged with more than 200,000 people, which yielded a more than 2% engagement rate compared to the industry average of 1%.

While extracting meaningful information from social media campaigns can pose to be challenging, there is a need to move beyond just measures of reach. Measurement on quality, saliency, and outcomes are critical to ensuring that future campaigns are successful and yield the desired rigor, quality, and investments needed to facilitate change.
High Squalene Epoxidase in Tumors Predicts Worse Survival in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Integrated Bioinformatic Analysis on NAFLD and HCC
Authors: Shen Tingting , Lu Yunfei , Zhang Qin
Published: March 2020

This study aimed to identify candidate biomarkers for predicting outcomes in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Using Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases, we identified common upregulated differential expressed genes (DEGs) in patients with NAFLD/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and HCC and conducted survival analysis of these upregulated DEGs with HCC outcomes. Two common upregulated DEGs including squalene epoxidase (SQLE) and EPPK1 messenger RNA (mRNA) were significantly upregulated in NAFLD, NASH, and HCC tissues, both in GSE45436 ( P < .001) and TCGA profile ( P < .001). Both SQLE and EPPK1 mRNA were upregulated in 15.56% and 8.06% patients with HCC in TCGA profile. Overexpression of SQLE in tumors was significantly associated with worse overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with HCC (log-rank P = .027 and log-rank P = .048, respectively), while no statistical significances of OS and DFS were found in EPPK1 groups (both log-rank P > .05). For validation, SQLE upregulation contributed to significantly worse OS in patients wih HCC using Kaplan-Meier plotter analysis (hazard ratio = 1.43, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-2.02, log-rank P = .043). In addition, high level of SQLE significantly associated with advanced neoplasm histologic grade, advanced AJCC stage, and α-fetoprotein elevation ( P = .036, .045, and .029, respectively). Squalene epoxidase is associated with OS and DFS and serves as a novel prognostic biomarker for patients with HCC.
One-Voice Strategy for Customer Engagement
Authors: Singh Jagdip , Nambisan Satish , Bridge R. Gary , Brock Jürgen Kai-Uwe
Published: March 2020

Machine-age technologies, including automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence, are profoundly expanding the variety of service interfaces and therefore the possible ways that customers and firms can interact across customer journeys. This expansion challenges service firms’ capabilities to deliver coherent streams of interactions for effective customer engagement. This article develops a conceptual framework of firm capabilities that enable firms to operate with “one voice” to deliver seamless, harmonious, and reliable interactions across diverse interfaces in a customer journey. The proposed framework integrates three themes: (1) service interaction space to capture the interrelationship among devices, interfaces, interactions, and journeys; (2) learning and coordination as core capabilities for generating and using intelligence, respectively, to enhance customer engagement in subsequent interactions; and (3) one-voice strategy to configure learning and coordination capabilities in combinations that meet conditions of fitness and equifinality for effective customer engagement. We provide several research questions and priorities to guide research and practice.
Who should decide the party’s nominee? Understanding public attitudes toward primary elections
Authors: Albert Zachary , La Raja Raymond J
Published: March 2020

Primary elections in the United States reflect the most inclusive nomination process among political parties across democracies. The desire for mass participation in party nominations appears embedded in a widespread populist ideal. It remains unclear, however, the extent to which voters believe that elites should be able to influence the process. Using data from the 2018 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, we demonstrate that levels of political engagement, perceived ideological distance from the party, and partisanship predict the degree of support for popular selection of party nominees. We find key differences between the parties, with Republicans, particularly conservatives, more strongly opposed to elite influence. Surprisingly, most voters tend to have a pluralistic approach to selecting nominees, allowing for party officials and experts to weigh in on picking the party’s candidates. The findings have implications for how we conceive of political parties and the kinds of nomination reforms that might be embraced by voters.
Saving 20,000 Days and Beyond using breakthrough improvements: lessons from an adaption of the Breakthrough Series Collaborative
Authors: Middleton Lesley , Gray Jonathon , Dowdle Diana , Villa Luis , Cumming Jacqueline , O’Loughlin Claire
Published: March 2020

Objectives

To report on selected findings from an evaluation of two consecutive quality improvement campaigns that adapted the Breakthrough Series Collaborative model to the broad topic of reducing demand for hospital care and reflect on lessons learned from their adaption of the model for subsequent collaborative improvement efforts.

Methods

We conducted a series of semi-structured interviews with Campaign sponsors and Collaborative team leaders as part of the broader realist evaluation of the two Campaigns. In addition, follow-up semi-structured interviews with Campaign sponsors and implementers were undertaken three years after the evaluation concluded (ex post evaluation interviews) to understand which adaptions to the Breakthrough Series Collaborative model had been the most influential.

Results

The interviews explored two features that differentiated the Campaigns from other Breakthrough Series Collaboratives. Firstly, the Campaigns enabled a diverse range of improvement solutions to be tested which had implications for the collaborative nature of the learning collaboratives. Secondly, two sequential Campaigns were implemented that incorporated common elements and provided the opportunity for the transfer of knowledge from one Campaign to the next.

Conclusions

Given widespread pressure to transform health care into a learning system, this paper provides a practical example of using cumulative insights to encourage the sustainability of collaborative improvement efforts. These insights centre on the gains from spreading improvement methodology throughout the organization and learning how to select and support successful collaborative teams.
Sleep difficulties among South Sudanese former refugees settled in Australia
Authors: Bruck Dorothy , Atem Deng Santino , Kot Bichok , Grossman Michele
Published: March 2020

This quantitative study investigated self-reported sleep, mental health and trauma related nocturnal behaviours among South Sudanese Australians (SSA), examined sex differences in their responses, and sought to determine risk factors for insomnia in this population. Comparisons were also made to a general Australian (AUS) sample of 1,512 respondents, obtained in a previously published study using the same questions regarding sleep difficulties. Self-reports of sleep difficulties, psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, K10), and nocturnal post-traumatic stress symptoms (Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire Inventory-Addendum, PSQI-A) were obtained from 117 former refugees (aged 16–60 years) who had been resettled for a decade on average. A key finding was that SSA men (n = 62) reported many more problems compared to both SSA women and AUS men. These problems included high rates of clinical insomnia (32%), clinical-level nocturnal post-trauma symptoms (57%), restless legs (31%), daytime sleepiness (40%), fatigue (43%), and waking unrefreshed (55%). Nearly one in five SSA men had “very high psychological distress,” a rate 10 times higher than that of men in Victoria and twice as high as SSA women. Analyses suggest that for many SSA men memories and dreams of past traumas may be affecting sleep health, with some improvement over time. It was concluded that men within the South Sudanese Australian community report hitherto unrecognised significant problems with their sleep. The findings are consistent with the interpretation that unresolved pre-migration trauma stress may be affecting the sleep of about half of the South Sudanese men in Australia.
The influence of work group size and space sharing on the perceived productivity, overall comfort and health of occupants in commercial and academic buildings
Authors: Khoshbakht Maryam , Baird George , Rasheed Eziaku O.
Published: March 2020

The influence of work groups (the number of occupants sharing an office) on occupant satisfaction with workplace environments was compared between commercial buildings and academic buildings. Using the Building Use Studies (BUS) methodology, a sample of 5000 surveys was collected over a 12-year period from 67 buildings around the world. In both academic and commercial buildings, solo offices (single occupant) obtained the best scores regarding productivity, overall comfort and health. Academics most disliked middle-sized open-plan offices (shared by 6 to 9 occupants), while in commercial buildings, office occupants most disliked large open-plan offices (shared by over 9 occupants). Occupants had higher productivity and perceived health in commercial buildings than those in academic buildings in all work groups. Productivity decreased as the number of occupants in the office increased in both academic and commercial buildings for all work groups except for middle-sized open-plan offices. Age had a significant influence on occupant perception in different work groups, when comparing commercial and academic buildings. Trivial differences regarding the effect of gender on occupant perception in commercial and academic buildings were also identified. The findings of this study points to the significance of office sharing in influencing high-performance working environments, especially in relation to open-plan layouts.
In-situ monitoring of hybrid friction diffusion bonded EN AW 1050/EN CW 004A lap joints using artificial neural nets
Authors: Köhler T , Schiele M , Glaser M , Schricker K , Bergmann JP , Augsburg K
Published: March 2020

In this work, a dissimilar copper/aluminum lap joint was generated by force-controlled hybrid friction diffusion bonding setup (HFDB). During the welding process, the appearing torque, the welding force as well as the plunge depth are recorded over time. Due to the force-controlled process, tool wear and the use of different materials, the resulting data series varies significantly, which makes quality assurance according to classical methods very difficult. Therefore, a Convolutional Neural Network was developed which allows the evaluation of the recorded process data. In this study, data from sound welds as well as data from samples with weld defects were considered. In addition to the different welding qualities, deviations from the ideal conditions due to tool wear and the use of different alloys were also considered. The validity of the developed approach is determined by cross validation during the training process and different amounts of training data. With an accuracy of 88.5%, the approach of using Convolutional Neural Network has proven to be a suitable tool for monitoring the processes.
Analysis of susceptor temperature during microwave heating and characterization of Ni-30Cr3C2 clads
Authors: Bansal Sandeep , Gupta Dheeraj , Jain Vivek
Published: March 2020

Hydropower plants are experiencing huge revenue losses due to the failure of hydro turbines caused by cavitation. Surface modification could be a feasible solution to tackle this problem. Microwave processing of metallic materials to coat/clad has gained popularity in recent years. In the current study, microwave exposure time by analyzing susceptor temperature is optimized to get sound clads. Nickel-based and Cr3C2-reinforced clad on SS-316 substrate is developed for cavitation erosion resistance. The clads have been developed in a domestic microwave oven of 2.45 GHz and 900 W. The Ni + 30% Cr3C2 developed clad has been characterized through various standard mechanical and metallurgical techniques like X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, Vicker’s micro-hardness, porosity measurement, and flexural study. The presence of various carbide and intermetallic phases Cr2Ni3, Cr7C3, CrSi, SiO2, and FeNi3 is confirmed from the X-ray diffraction pattern. The distribution of hard carbide phases into soft matrix is confirmed from the microstructural investigation. Vicker’s microhardness study confirms the enhanced average microhardness of the clad region by 2.5 times of the substrate. The analysis of porosity shows significantly less (0.98%) porosity. The flexural study of developed clads by using three-point bending test is evaluated and flexural strength and deformation index values of developed clads of 814 ± 11.5 MPa and 2.29 × 10−4 mm N−1 respectively are observed.
Through growth to achievement: Examining edtech as a solution to Australia’s declining educational achievement
Authors: Buchanan Rachel
Published: March 2020

In many educational jurisdictions, school systems are striving to demonstrate constant improvement. In Australia, the latest iteration of this concern is represented by the recent federal government report, Through growth to achievement. The report offers a number of recommendations to address declining achievement in Australian schooling. Pulling together scholarship on policy and educational technology I provide an analysis of key aspects of this report. This analysis draws attention to three salient features of the report: continuous assessment for continuous improvement; education as personalized learning; and growth mindset as a policy mandate. I explore the implications for schooling in Australia if these features were to be taken up. Analysis indicates that Australia could undergo significant change: teaching would be reconstituted as a process of continuous assessment; processes of personalized learning would lead to algorithmically tethered educative opportunities based upon students’ previous achievement and choices; and learners would be reshaped by technologies of persuasion. Given that educational jurisdictions globally are increasingly advocating for these types of educational solutions, this research is valuable as it provides a basis for further critique of such technologies being proffered as a panacea for educational disadvantage.
Learning content of ‘multiculturalism’ for children in Taiwan’s elementary schools
Authors: Shih Yi-Huang
Published: March 2020

By reading, reviewing, analyzing and discussing the literature related to ‘multiculturalism’, this article aims to explore the learning content of ‘multiculturalism’ for children in Taiwan’s elementary schools. I analyze the focus of teaching from the perspectives of ethnicity, language, gender, religion and class. In terms of ethnicity, teachers should help children understand, respect and appreciate the cultures of various ethnic groups. In terms of language, teachers should teach children to respect the languages of ethnic groups. In terms of gender, teachers should cultivate children’s sense of gender equality and create a ‘gender-equal’ society to avoid gender discrimination and oppression. In terms of religion, teachers should teach children to respect, appreciate and be tolerant of religious beliefs. In terms of class, teachers must help children understand that members of various social classes should coexist peacefully to prevent class oppression. Additionally, teachers have a crucial role in teaching practice; teachers should increase their awareness of beliefs, values, educational ideals, practical knowledge and external environmental challenges; and teachers should be willing to use new approaches and changes to curricula. Active participation in curriculum formation and teaching practice is essential; otherwise, making the required substantial changes to the curriculum and teaching of ‘multiculturalism’ would be difficult. Based on the aforementioned discussion, children can be taught to recognize, respect and appreciate cultures and enhance their understanding of ‘multiculturalism’.
Smoking status affects clinical characteristics and disease course of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A prospectively observational study
Authors: Li Xiaolong , Wu Zhen , Xue Mingyue , Du Wei
Published: March 2020

Existing studies primarily explored chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in smokers, whereas the clinical characteristics and the disease course of passive or nonsmokers have been rarely described. In the present study, patients hospitalized and diagnosed as acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) were recruited and followed up until being discharged. Clinical and laboratory indicators were ascertained and delved into. A total of 100 patients were covered, namely, 52 active smokers, 34 passive smokers, and 14 nonsmokers. As revealed from the results here, passive or nonsmokers developed less severe dyspnea (patients with modified Medical Research Council scale (mMRC) <2, 0.0% vs. 8.8% vs. 14.3%, p < 0.05, active, passive, and nonsmokers, respectively), higher oxygenation index (206.4 ± 45.5 vs. 241.2 ± 51.1 vs. 242.4 ± 41.8 mmHg, p < 0.01), as well as lower arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (70.8 ± 12.7 vs. 58.85 ± 9.9 vs. 56.6 ± 6.5 mmHg, p < 0.001). Despite lower treatment intensity over these patients, amelioration of dyspnea, mitigation of cough, and elevation of oxygenation index were comparable to those of active smokers. However, in terms of patients exhibiting mMRC ≥2 and type 2 respiratory failure, amelioration of dyspnea was more common in nonsmokers as compared with passive smokers (46.4% vs. 83.3%, p < 0.05, passive and nonsmokers, respectively). In terms of patients exhibiting Global Initiative for COPD severity <3, mMRC ≥2, and type 2 respiratory failure, active smokers achieved the least mitigation of cough symptom (8.7% vs. 35.0% vs. 44.4%, p < 0.05). Similar results could be achieved after the effects of confounders were excluded, with the most prominent amelioration of dyspnea (odds ratio (OR) 3.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–13.6, p < 0.05, as compared with active smokers) and cough (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.0–10.7, p < 0.05) in nonsmokers, and relatively better amelioration of hypoxemia in passive smokers (oxygenation index change, 39.0 ± 34.6 vs. 51.5 ± 32.4 vs. 45.3 ± 25.4 mmHg, p < 0.05). In brief, passive or nonsmokers with AECOPD were subjected to less severe disease, and nonsmokers, especially patients with more severe disease, might achieve the optimal enhancement of clinical presentation after treatment.
Multi-weapon multi-target assignment based on hybrid genetic algorithm in uncertain environment
Authors: Zhao Yang , Chen Yifei , Zhen Ziyang , Jiang Ju
Published: March 2020

The multi-weapon multi-target assignment is always an unavoidable problem in military field. It does make sense to find a proper assignment of weapons to targets which may help maximize the attack effect. In this article, as the information achieved from the battlefield is becoming more and more uncertain, a novel threat assessment method and target assignment algorithm are proposed against the background of unmanned aerial vehicles intelligent air combat. Specifically, with regard to the threat assessment issue, a possibility degree function based on grey theory is structured to further improve the grey analytic hierarchy process. It can transform the interval weight of threat factors into scalar-valued weight, with which the accuracy of threat assessment can be improved. Regarding the target assignment problem, combining with interval grey number, an improved hybrid genetic algorithm is developed. The improvements are mainly consisting of adaptive crossover and mutation operators which can help to find an approximate solution within certain time constraints. Meanwhile, the simulated annealing operation is incorporated to avoid local optimum and premature phenomenon. In addition, the selection operation and fitness function are also redesigned to handle the interval numbers. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm in completing the multi-objective weapon-target assignment under uncertain environment.
2019 in Review: Some recent developments in US Case Law
Authors: Donegan James , Salen Kenneth H.
Published: March 2020

A recent Supreme Court case, Helsin Helathcare S.A. v. Teva Pharm. VSA, Inc., and three recent Federal Circuit cases, Arthrex, Inc. v. Smith & Newphew, Inc., Grunenthal GmbH v. Alkem Labs. Ltd, and Athena Diagnostics, Inc. v. Mayo Collaborative Servs., LLC will provide generic pharmaceutical manufacturers with greater clarity in devising litigation strategies.
Equity of access to critical care services in Scotland: A Bayesian spatial analysis
Authors: Emerson Philip , Green David R , Stott Steve , Maclennan Graeme , Campbell Marion K , Jansen Jan O
Published: March 2020

Background

There is increasing evidence that access to critical care services is not equitable. We aimed to investigate whether location of residence in Scotland impacts on the risk of admission to an Intensive Care Unit and on outcomes.

Methods

This was a population-based Bayesian spatial analysis of adult patients admitted to Intensive Care Units in Scotland between January 2011 and December 2015. We used a Besag–York–Mollié model that allows us to make direct probabilistic comparisons between areas regarding risk of admission to Intensive Care Units and on outcomes.

Results

A total of 17,596 patients were included. The five-year age- and sex-standardised admission rate was 352 per 100,000 residents. There was a cluster of Council Areas in the North-East of the country which had lower adjusted admission rates than the Scottish average. Midlothian, in South East Scotland had higher spatially adjusted admission rates than the Scottish average. There was no evidence of geographical variation in mortality.

Conclusion

Access to critical care services in Scotland varies with location of residence. Possible reasons include differential co-morbidity burden, service provision and access to critical care services. In contrast, the probability of surviving an Intensive Care Unit admission, if admitted, does not show geographical variation.
Collaborative data familiarisation and quality assessment: Reflections from use of a national dataset to investigate palliative care for Indigenous Australians
Authors: Woods John A , Johnson Claire E , Allingham Samuel F , Ngo Hanh T , Katzenellenbogen Judith M , Thompson Sandra C
Published: March 2020

Background:

Data quality is fundamental to the integrity of quantitative research. The role of external researchers in data quality assessment (DQA) remains ill-defined in the context of secondary use for research of large, centrally curated health datasets. In order to investigate equity of palliative care provided to Indigenous Australian patients, researchers accessed a now-historical version of a national palliative care dataset developed primarily for the purpose of continuous quality improvement.

Objectives:

(i) To apply a generic DQA framework to the dataset and (ii) to report the process and results of this assessment and examine the consequences for conducting the research.

Method:

The data were systematically examined for completeness, consistency and credibility. Data quality issues relevant to the Indigenous identifier and framing of research questions were of particular interest.

Results:

The dataset comprised 477,518 records of 144,951 patients (Indigenous N = 1515; missing Indigenous identifier N = 4998) collected from participating specialist palliative care services during a period (1 January 2010–30 June 2015) in which data-checking systems underwent substantial upgrades. Progressive improvement in completeness of data over the study period was evident. The data were error-free with respect to many credibility and consistency checks, with anomalies detected reported to data managers. As the proportion of missing values remained substantial for some clinical care variables, multiple imputation procedures were used in subsequent analyses.

Conclusion and implications:

In secondary use of large curated datasets, DQA by external researchers may both influence proposed analytical methods and contribute to improvement of data curation processes through feedback to data managers.