bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preliminary Clinical Evaluation of Acupuncture Therapy in Patients With Postpartum Sciatica
Authors: He Bing‐Shu , Li Yang , Gui Tong
Published: March 2018

Introduction

This study evaluated clinical outcomes following acupuncture treatment of postpartum sciatica.

Methods

One hundred eleven women with postpartum sciatica were enrolled in an acupuncture group (n = 86) or a control group (n = 25), according to their preference. Participants in the acupuncture group attended acupuncture therapy sessions 3 times a week for 4 weeks, while participants in the control group were assigned to bed rest. Outcome measures included the Roland Disability Questionnaire for sciatica, a visual analog scale for leg pain, and patient‐reported perceived recovery. In addition, participants were surveyed after treatment to assess the acceptability of acupuncture therapy.

Results

The outcome scores for disability and leg pain were significantly lower in the acupuncture group compared with the control group (P < .05). All 86 women in the treatment group stated that acupuncture improved their well‐being after treatment. At one month after treatment, 98% of participants in the treatment group reported recovery compared with 24% of the control group participants (P < .001). After treatment, 95% of lactating women in the acupuncture group believed that acupuncture had no significant interference with breast milk production. No adverse effects of acupuncture were reported. All participants in the acupuncture group stated they would choose acupuncture in case of relapse. However, the recurrence rate of sciatica in the acupuncture group (32%) was comparable to that of the control group (35%) at the one‐year follow‐up interview.

Discussion

Compared with bed rest, acupuncture might be an effective and acceptable strategy to relieve symptoms of postpartum sciatica.
The efficacy and complications of a new technique of Abobotulinum‐toxin A (Dysport) injection in patients with glabellar lines
Authors: Karbassi Esmat , Nakhaee Nouzar , Zamanian Maryam
Published: March 2018

Background

Abobotulinum‐ toxin A is used extensively for the treatment of frown (glabellar) lines.

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and complications of a new injection technique and to assess the amount of satisfaction in patients with the frown lines.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study was conducted in 104 patients with moderate‐to‐severe glabellar lines. In the new technique by reassessing the responsible anatomic muscles of wrinkles, we tried to modify the injection technique of Abobotulinum‐toxin A to yield more favorable results. The range and severity of frown lines were assessed by a 4‐score test and a photograph taken before and 2 weeks after the injection. Patients were followed up to 180 days after injection.

Results

The response time of 87.5% of patients was within the first 48 hours and the remaining 12.5% showed the symptoms within the first week after injection. At 30 days after injection, the frown lines had disappeared in 88.5% of patients in static mode and 85.6% in mechanic mode. Maximum injection durability in the first 3, 4, and 6 months after injection was 82%, 52%, and 38%, respectively. The amount of complete satisfaction after 3 months was reported to be 86.5%.

Conclusions

This study indicated that the new injection technique of Abobotulinum‐toxin A could be beneficial in the treatment of frown lines with more satisfactory results, especially in those patients who were not contented with the present conventional method.
Out‐of‐School Time and Behaviors During Adolescence
Authors: Lee Kenneth T. H. , Lewis Ryan W. , Kataoka Sabrina , Schenke Katerina , Vandell Deborah L.
Published: March 2018

Although adolescents experience an array of out‐of‐school time (OST) settings, research has primarily focused on these settings in isolation. This study examined time in four OST settings (unsupervised time with peers, paid employment, sports, and nonsports organized activities) in relation to adolescent functioning at age 15 and the end of high school. Individual fixed effects analyses provided a more rigorous control of selection into OST activities by controlling for time‐invariant observable and unobservable characteristics. More unsupervised time with peers predicted increases in risky and externalizing behaviors, whereas increases in paid employment predicted gains in work orientation and self‐identity. Time in organized sports was associated with increased positive self‐identity, highlighting the value of expanding consideration of multiple OST contexts and selection effects.
Optimal Insurance Policy Indemnity Schedules With Policyholders’ Limited Liability and Background Risk
Authors: Hofmann Annette , Häfen Ole V. , Nell Martin
Published: March 2018

This article makes two contributions to the insurance literature by studying optimal insurance policy indemnity schedules with policyholders’ limited liability and background risk. First, generalizing a prominent approach by Huberman, Mayers, and Smith (1983), it is shown that a welfare subsidy in the case of a ruinous loss may make the insurance premium “overly fair” for nonbankrupting losses and full insurance for this event becomes optimal. Second, introducing correlated background risk into this limited liability framework relativizes or even turns results by Doherty and Schlesinger (1983) as to the impact of background risk on optimal coverage into its opposite.
Interval Estimation for a First‐Order Positive Autoregressive Process
Authors: Hsiao Wei‐Cheng , Huang Hao‐Yun , Ing Ching‐Kang
Published: March 2018

We are interested in constructing confidence intervals for the autoregressive (AR) coefficient of a first‐order AR model with i.i.d. positive errors via an extreme value estimate (EVE). We assume that the error distribution has a density functionfε(x) behaving likeasx→0, whereb1,0andα0are unknown positive constants. These specifications imply that the EVE has a limiting distribution depending onb1,0andα0from which only an infeasible interval estimate can be obtained. To alleviate this difficulty, we introduce a novel procedure to estimate these two constants and establish the desired consistency. This consistency result enables us not only to gain a better understanding of the underlying error distribution, but also to construct a feasible, asymptotically valid confidence interval of the AR coefficient, without resorting to a bootstrap procedure described in Datta and McCormick (1995). The performance of the proposed interval estimate is further illustrated through simulation studies and real data analysis.
Places, spaces and local customs: honouring the private worlds of out‐of‐school text creation
Authors: Chamberlain Liz
Published: March 2018

This paper examines the nature of the out‐of‐school writing practices of three primary‐aged children aged 9–10. In particular, it explores the writing these children chose to undertake at home including ‘for school’ writing, completed at home. The study's findings reveal the ways in which these three, developing young writers engage and interact with writing and how this differs to writingfor school, completed at home. To better understand the implications of national surveys that reveal a causal relationship between writing for enjoyment and positive writing attainment this research sought to expose the range and versatility of the children's home and volitional writing practices. The children in this case study were not selected because they were writers but merely that they engaged with writing away from school. The study employs an ecological paradigm (Bronfenbrenner,) to explore the participation and interaction of the children with their writing practices within the complex environment of home. The paper makes the case for teachers to be more curious about the private worlds of out‐of‐school text creation to better appreciate the provenance of home writing events and artefacts.
Evangelizing Congress: The Emergence of Evangelical Republicans and Party Polarization in Congress
Authors: Mathew Nicole Asmussen
Published: March 2018

The realignment of evangelical voters is well‐documented, but religion's impact within Congress is less clear. New data on home churches of members of Congress shows that the realignment of congressional evangelicals, combined with their growth and distinctly conservative legislative behavior, has significantly contributed to party polarization in Congress. Controlling for other factors, evangelicals are significantly more conservative than members of other religious traditions. This conservatism also has second‐order effects on the polarization of the House, where their more partisan proposals comprise a larger share of the roll‐call agenda when Republicans are in the majority. Moreover, evangelical Republicans in Congress differ significantly from evangelical Democrats in terms their geography, denominations, and experiences prior to Congress.
Methodological challenges to collecting clinical and economic outcome data: Lessons from the pilot dialysis outcomes India study
Authors: Bassi Abhinav , John Oommen , Gallagher Martin , Kotwal Sradha , Joshi Rohina , Essue Beverley , Jan Stephen , Ramachandran Raja , Kher Vijay , Knight John , Jha Vivekanand
Published: March 2018

Aim

Contemporary data on clinical and economic outcomes and quality of care amongst dialysis patients in India are not available. This pilot prospective study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of data collection and follow up within routine dialysis practice to inform setting up a dialysis registry.

Methods

An electronic instrument was developed to collect information on clinical and socio‐demographic characteristics, outcome and out‐of‐pocket expenditure on incident patients commencing haemodialysis (HD) at two centres. Dialysis unit staff were trained in collecting and entering information on an electronic case record form. Patients were followed up at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months to ascertain outcomes and treatment related costs.

Results

A total of 119 patients (37 females, age 47.5 ± 17.2 years) were enrolled. After 1 year, 38 (32%) patients were continuing on HD; 35 (29%) had died, 30 (25%) underwent a kidney transplant, and 16 (13%) had stopped dialysis. We noted a high prevalence of catastrophic health expenditure. Data collection was facilitated by appointing a designated staff member who received an incentive. Collection of financial information, clinical course for patients transferring out of the primary unit and the cause of death, when it occurred out of hospital was challenging.

Conclusion

Prospective data collection of incident dialysis patients was feasible but is resource‐intensive. High out‐of‐pocket costs force some patients to stop dialysis and can generate a sense of despair. Poor patient experiences and suspicion over the use of such data adversely affects collection of important clinical and health economic data.
Genomics studies on musical aptitude, music perception, and practice
Authors: Järvelä Irma
Published: March 2018

When searching for genetic markers inherited together with musical aptitude, genes affecting inner ear development and brain function were identified. The alpha‐synuclein gene (SNCA), located in the most significant linkage region of musical aptitude, was overexpressed when listening and performing music. The GATA‐binding protein 2 gene (GATA2) was located in the best associated region of musical aptitude and regulates SNCA in dopaminergic neurons, thus linking DNA‐ and RNA‐based studies of music‐related traits together. In addition to SNCA, several other genes were linked to dopamine metabolism. Mutations in SNCA predispose to Lewy‐body dementia and cause Parkinson disease in humans and affect song production in songbirds. Several other birdsong genes were found in transcriptome analysis, suggesting a common evolutionary background of sound perception and production in humans and songbirds. Regions of positive selection with musical aptitude contained genes affecting auditory perception, cognitive performance, memory, human language development, and song perception and production of songbirds. The data support the role of dopaminergic pathway and their link to the reward mechanism as a molecular determinant in positive selection of music. Integration of gene‐level data from the literature across multiple species prioritized activity‐dependent immediate early genes as candidate genes in musical aptitude and listening to and performing music.
Geomorphological characteristics of slope failures in northeast Viti Levu island, Fiji, triggered by Tropical Cyclone Winston in February 2016
Authors: Ram Arishma Reshmi , Brook Martin Scott , Cronin Shane Jason
Published: March 2018

The highways circumnavigating Viti Levu play a pivotal role in Fiji's socioeconomic development, and are a crucial link to transport aid during disasters. Slope failures triggered by heavy rainfall and tropical cyclones have led to considerable damage and fatalities along Viti Levu's main roads in the past. Knowledge of slope instability mechanisms is key for the successful identification and management of slope failure hazards, however, there is a paucity of such information for Fiji's main roads. Severe Tropical Cyclone (STC) Winston was the strongest cyclone on record to make landfall in Fiji and affected the Fiji Islands from the early hours of 20 February until 3 am, 21 February, 2016. We present a field reconnaissance examining the characteristics and mechanisms of slope failures induced by STC Winston along a 35 km stretch of the northern part of the Viti Levu's ring road, “Kings Road”. Approximately 61 distinct shallow, small‐scale slope failures were identified most of which were of a complex type and included earth and debris slides (planar and rotational) with a minor flow component. The trigger for the slope failures was the ~258 mm of rainfall in 24 hours after 30‐days of antecedent rainfall totalling 482 mm. This caused rapid increases in porewater pressures, especially at the contact of residual soils and the underlying weathered basement rock. Evidence of recurring slips along Kings Road indicates that contemporary slope instability is likely caused by elevated porewater pressure during high intensity rainfall events in clay‐dominated soils.
Cardiac resynchronization therapy: A comparative analysis of mortality in African Americans and Caucasians
Authors: Fontaine John M. , Franklin Sona M. , Essilfie Gilbert , Ahiable Lilian E.
Published: March 2018

Background

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is recommended in patients with heart failure, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, and a prolonged QRS duration. African Americans are underrepresented in clinical trials and CRT is underutilized; consequently, the benefits and outcomes of CRT are not well‐defined.

Methods

We evaluated 294 patients, determined survival using Kaplan‐Meier analysis, and used Cox proportional hazards regression model to determine predictors of mortality. Propensity score‐match analysis was applied to balance covariates in African Americans and Caucasians.

Results

The mean age for African Americans (n  =  131) and Caucasians (n  =  163) was 65 ± 12 and 70 ± 13 years (P  =  0.0003). Mortality in African Americans was 28% compared to 37% in Caucasians (P  =  0.14) over a median follow‐up of 8.1 ± 0.6 years. Survival was significantly reduced in African Americans and Caucasians with a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 (6.7 ± 0.4, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.9–7.5 vs 8.6 ± 0.5 CI: 7.7–9.5 years, P  =  0.005), and those not treated with an aldosterone antagonist (7.1 ± 0.4, 95% CI: 6.5–7.9 vs 8.7 ± 0.6, 7.6–9.9 years, P  =  0.04), respectively. Independent predictors of mortality were a GFR <60 and low left ventricular ejection fraction. In African Americans, ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) and lack of therapy with an angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) were associated with increased mortality.

Conclusions

Long‐term survival benefit from CRT was similar in African Americans and Caucasians. A GFR < 60 and lack of therapy with an aldosterone antagonist were associated with decreased survival. Survival also was inversely related to the number of comorbidities. In African Americans, underutilization of an ACEI or ARB, and ICM were additional factors associated with increased mortality.
In‐field molecular diagnosis of plant pathogens: recent trends and future perspectives
Authors: Donoso A. , Valenzuela S.
Published: March 2018

Accurate management practices in crop health and food safety are critical, especially regarding the detection of plant pathogens in the early stages of a disease. To date, specific, fast and sensitive technologies for point‐of‐care diagnosis and simple or grower‐friendly devices are very valuable, as no specialized staff are required for diagnosing a disease in the field. This is especially the case today, when factors such as climate change may cause the appearance of pathogens in areas where years ago they were unexpected. The aim of this research is to review some of the promising techniques that can be applied to in‐field molecular detection of plant pathogens and how these techniques can change the way farmers and pathologists are diagnosing plant diseases. Some of them, like loop‐mediated isothermal amplification and recombinase polymerase amplification, are already being successfully used for routine diagnosis. However, most technologies still need validation in the plant pathology field, where they have a promising future for in‐field diagnosis when combined with simple DNA extraction methods, reagent stabilization techniques and their integration into portable devices.
Involving society in restoration and conservation
Authors: Swart Jac. A. A. , Zevenberg Jorien , Ho Peter , Cortina Jordi , Reed Mark , Derak Mchich , Vella Steven , Zhao Heng , van der Windt Henny J.
Published: March 2018

It is widely acknowledged that ecosystems often cannot be considered as separated from social systems, but that they should rather be seen as interacting, cross‐scaled, coupled systems operating on multiple temporal and spatial scales. Humans have an increasing impact on ecosystems worldwide, while at the same time ecosystems are of critical importance for the functioning of human systems through ecosystems services. Often the term “social ecological systems” is used in approaches that consider ecological and social systems as integrated systems. This paper aims to contribute to clarification of the different relationships between social and ecological systems. The focus is on the social side of ecological restoration and conservation, in particular on participation, indigenous knowledge, governance, and ethics. It is concluded that in restoration and conservation of social ecological systems more attention should be paid to the role of social systems and conditions on which ecosystems depend. It implies awareness of the importance of engaging stakeholders and fostering public debate and deliberation.
A Bayesian Analysis of Abundance, Trend, and Population Viability for Harbor Seals in Iliamna Lake, Alaska
Authors: Boveng Peter L. , Hoef Jay M. Ver , Withrow David E. , London Josh M.
Published: March 2018

Harbor seals in Iliamna Lake, Alaska, are a small, isolated population, and one of only two freshwater populations of harbor seals in the world, yet little is known about their abundance or risk for extinction. Bayesian hierarchical models were used to estimate abundance and trend of this population. Observational models were developed from aerial survey and harvest data, and they included effects for time of year and time of day on survey counts. Underlying models of abundance and trend were based on a Leslie matrix model that used prior information on vital rates from the literature. We developed three scenarios for variability in the priors and used them as part of a sensitivity analysis. The models were fitted using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The population production rate implied by the vital rate estimates was about 5% per year, very similar to the average annual harvest rate. After a period of growth in the 1980s, the population appears to be relatively stable at around 400 individuals. A population viability analysis assessing the risk of quasi‐extinction, defined as any reduction to 50 animals or below in the next 100 years, ranged from 1% to 3%, depending on the prior scenario. Although this is moderately low risk, it does not include genetic or catastrophic environmental events, which may have occurred to the population in the past, so our results should be applied cautiously.
Morphological phylogeny of Dictyopharidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha)
Authors: Song Zhi‐Shun , Bartlett Charles R. , O'Brien Lois B. , Liang Ai‐Ping , Bourgoin Thierry
Published: March 2018

To explore the phylogenetic basis of the current classification of Dictyopharidae, especially the relationships among the tribes of Dictyopharinae, we present the first cladistic analysis of this family based on 146 morphological characters of adults. Our analysis includes 104 of 125 recognized genera and subgenera within 12 extant tribes of Dictyopharinae, plus nine genera representing all four tribes of Orgeriinae. The results of this study support Dictyopharidae as a monophyletic group with Aluntiini sister to the remaining Dictyopharidae, but do not support Orgeriinae as sister to Dictyopharinae. Seven major lineages – Aluntiini, Arjunini, Hastini, (Taosini + Lappidini) + Nersiini, a Xenochasma+ complex (including ‘Orgeriinae’), Orthopagini, and Dictyopharini – are recovered in Dictyopharidae. The Xenochasma+ complex is proposed here and includes Xenochasma clade + (Scoloptini + ((Fernandea clade + Phylloscelini) + (Rancodini + [Capenini + Orgeriinae]))). Within this complex, some genera are of uncertain tribal placement, and the Orgeriinae are retained as a subfamily until a molecular phylogeny can confirm the results of this paper. The implied weighting analysis supports the monophyly of most tribes of Dictyopharinae (except Taosini), the sister‐group relationships of (Taosini + Lappidini) with Nersiini, and Orthopagini + Dictyopharini, and the current tribal classification for Dictyopharinae. Most Dictyopharinae genera fit their respective tribal affiliation, but some proposed changes are that Pharodictyon, Paramisia, Dictyopharoides s.s., Chondrophana, Sicoris, Chondrodire, and Tupala are provisionally placed in Hastini; Pukuakanga is moved into Nersiini; Sinodictya and Raphiophora are transferred into Orthopagini; and Chiltana, Litocras, and Viridophara are placed in Dictyopharini.
Novel functions of the Arabidopsis transcription factor TCP5 in petal development and ethylene biosynthesis
Authors: van Es Sam W. , Silveira Sylvia R. , Rocha Diego I. , Bimbo Andrea , Martinelli Adriana P. , Dornelas Marcelo C. , Angenent Gerco C. , Immink Richard G.H.
Published: March 2018

The flowers of most dicotyledons have petals that, together with the sepals, initially protect the reproductive organs. Later during development petals are required to open the flower and to attract pollinators. This diverse set of functions demands tight temporal and spatial regulation of petal development. We studied the functioning of the Arabidopsis thaliana TCP5‐like transcription factors (TFs) in petals. Overexpression of TCP5 in petal epidermal cells results in smaller petals, whereas tcp5 tcp13 tcp17 triple knockout lines have wider petals with an increased surface area. Comprehensive expression studies revealed effects of TCP5‐like TFs on the expression of genes related to the cell cycle, growth regulation and organ growth. Additionally, the ethylene biosynthesis genes 1‐amino‐cyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate (ACC) synthase 2 (ACS2) and ACC oxidase 2 (ACO2) and several ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTORS (ERFs) are found to be differentially expressed in TCP5 mutant and overexpression lines. Chromatin immunoprecipitation–quantitative PCR showed direct binding of TCP5 to the ACS2 locus in vivo. Ethylene is known to influence cell elongation, and the petal phenotype of the tcp5 tcp13 tcp17 mutant could be complemented by treatment of the plants with an ethylene pathway inhibitor. Taken together, this reveals a novel role for TCP5‐like TFs in the regulation of ethylene‐mediated petal development and growth.
Genomic adaptation of flowering‐time genes during the expansion of rice cultivation area
Authors: Itoh Hironori , Wada Kaede C. , Sakai Hiroaki , Shibasaki Kyohei , Fukuoka Shuichi , Wu Jianzhong , Yonemaru Jun‐ichi , Yano Masahiro , Izawa Takeshi
Published: March 2018

The diversification of flowering time in response to natural environments is critical for the spread of crops to diverse geographic regions. In contrast with recent advances in understanding the molecular basis of photoperiodic flowering in rice (Oryza sativa), little is known about how flowering‐time diversification is structured within rice subspecies. By analyzing genome sequencing data and a set of 429 chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) originating from 10 diverse rice accessions with wide distributions, we revealed diverse effects of allelic variations for common flowering‐time quantitative trait loci in the recipient's background. Although functional variations associated with a few loci corresponded to standing variations among subspecies, the identified functional nucleotide polymorphisms occurred recently after rice subgroup differentiation, indicating that the functional diversity of flowering‐time gene sequences was not particularly associated with phylogenetic relationship between rice subspecies. Intensive analysis of the Hd1 genomic region identified the signature of an early introgression of the Hd1 with key mutation(s) in aus and temperate japonica accessions. Our data suggested that, after such key introgressions, new mutations were selected and accelerated the flowering‐time diversity within subspecies during the expansion of rice cultivation area. This finding may imply that new genome‐wide changes for flowering‐time adaptation are one of the critical determinants for establishing genomic architecture of local rice subgroups. In‐depth analyses of various rice genomes coupling with the genetically confirmed phenotypic changes in a large set of CSSLs enabled us to demonstrate how rice genome dynamics has coordinated with the adaptation of cultivated rice during the expansion of cultivation area.
In vitroefficacy of a honey‐based gel against canine clinical isolates ofStaphylococcus pseudintermediusandMalassezia pachydermatis
Authors: Oliveira Ana M. P. , Devesa Joana S. P. , Hill Peter B.
Published: March 2018

Background

Staphylococcus pseudintermediusandMalassezia pachydermatisare important agents in canine pyoderma and otitis.

Hypothesis/Objectives

Determine thein vitroefficacy of a honey‐based gel (HBO) against meticillin‐susceptibleS. pseudintermedius(MSSP), meticillin‐resistantS. pseudintermedius(MRSP) andM. pachydermatis,by minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) and time‐kill assay (TKA). Efficacy of the product's honey component (HO) also was evaluated.

Methods

SixtyS. pseudintermediusand 10 M. pachydermatiscanine isolates were selected. All isolates were tested against serial dilutions of anHBOcontaining 40%HO(40%, 20%, 10%, 5% and 2.5% w/v) andHOalone (undiluted, 40%, 20%, 10%, 5% and 2.5% w/v). Microbroth assay followed by subculture was used to determineMBCandMFC. The same protocol was applied after product exposure to catalase. A well‐diffusion assay forS. pseudintermediuswas used to generate inhibition zones. ATKAfor 10 isolates ofS. pseudintermediusand 10 isolates ofM. pachydermatiswas performed.

Results

MBCwas 20% w/v (5–20% w/v) forHBOandHO.HBOhad lowerMBCvalues when compared toHO(P = 0.003). No statistical difference was observed betweenMSSP/MRSPisolates (HBOP = 0.757,HOP = 0.743). OnlyHOwas affected by catalase (P = 0.015).MFCforHBOwas 10% w/v (5–10% w/v) and 40% w/v forHO(20–≥40% w/v). All isolates were killed after 4 h of exposure.

Conclusions and clinical importance

Staphylococcus pseudintermediusandM. pachydermatisare susceptible to theHBOand these results can be used for future clinical trials.
Seventy Years of RN Effectiveness: A Database Development Project to Inform Best Practice
Authors: Lulat Zainab , Blain‐McLeod Julie , Grinspun Doris , Penney Tasha , Harripaul‐Yhap Anastasia , Rey Michelle
Published: March 2018

Background

The appropriate nursing staff mix is imperative to the provision of quality care. Nurse staffing levels and staff mix vary from country to country, as well as between care settings. Understanding how staffing skill mix impacts patient, organizational, and financial outcomes is critical in order to allow policymakers and clinicians to make evidence‐informed staffing decisions.

Aims

This paper reports on the methodology for creation of an electronic database of studies exploring the effectiveness of Registered Nurses (RNs) on clinical and patient outcomes, organizational and nurse outcomes, and financial outcomes.

Methods

Comprehensive literature searches were conducted in four electronic databases. Inclusion criteria for the database included studies published from 1946 to 2016, peer‐reviewed international literature, and studies focused on RNs in all health‐care disciplines, settings, and sectors. Masters‐prepared nurse researchers conducted title and abstract screening and relevance review to determine eligibility of studies for the database. High‐level analysis was conducted to determine key outcomes and the frequency at which they appeared within the database.

Results

Of the initial 90,352 records, a total of 626 abstracts were included within the database. Studies were organized into three groups corresponding to clinical and patient outcomes, organizational and nurse‐related outcomes, and financial outcomes. Organizational and nurse‐related outcomes represented the largest category in the database with 282 studies, followed by clinical and patient outcomes with 244 studies, and lastly financial outcomes, which included 124 studies.

Linking Evidence to Action

The comprehensive database of evidence for RN effectiveness is freely available at https://rnao.ca/bpg/initiatives/RNEffectiveness. The database will serve as a resource for the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, as well as a tool for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers for making evidence‐informed staffing decisions.
Reducing Emergency Room Visits and In‐Hospitalizations by Implementing Best Practice for Transitional Care Using Innovative Technology and Big Data
Authors: Hewner Sharon , Sullivan Suzanne S. , Yu Guan
Published: March 2018

Background

Efforts to improve care transitions require coordination across the healthcare continuum and interventions that enhance communication between acute and community settings.

Aims

To improve post‐discharge utilization value using technology to identify high‐risk individuals who might benefit from rapid nurse outreach to assess social and behavioral determinants of health with the goal of reducing inpatient and emergency department visits.

Methods

The project employed a before and after comparison of the intervention site with similar primary care practice sites using population‐level Medicaid claims data. The intervention targeted discharged persons with preexisting chronic disease and delivered a care transition alert to a nurse care coordinator for immediate telephonic outreach. The nurse assessed social determinants of health and incorporated problems into the EHR to share across settings. The project evaluated health outcomes and the value of nursing care on existing electronic claims data to compare utilization in the years before and during the intervention using negative binomial regression to account for rare events such as inpatient visits.

Results

Avoiding readmissions and emergency visits, and increasing timely outpatient visits improved the individual's experience of care and the work life of healthcare providers, while reducing per capita costs (Quadruple Aim). In the intervention practice, the nurse care coordinator demonstrated the value of nursing care by reducing inpatient (25%) and emergency (35%) visits, and increasing outpatient visits (27%). The estimated value of avoided encounters over the secular Medicaid trend was $664 per adult with chronic disease, generating $71,289 in revenue from additional outpatient visits.

Linking Evidence to Action

Using health information exchange to deliver appropriate and timely evidence‐based clinical decision support in the form of care transition alerts and assessment of social determinants of health, in conjunction with data science methods, demonstrates the value of nursing care and resulted in achieving the Quadruple Aim.
The Effects of Argumentation Implementation on Environmental Education Self Efficacy Beliefs and Perspectives According to Environmental Problems
Authors: Fettahlıoğlu Pınar
Published: March 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of argumentation implementation applied in the environmental science course on science teacher candidates’ environmental education self-efficacy beliefs and perspectives according to environmental problems. In this mixed method research study, convergent parallel design was utilized. Quantitative part of this study was based upon one group pretest-posttest design. Qualitative part of this study was based upon holistic case study. The sample of the study consisted of 26 3rd year science teacher candidates in A State University Education Faculty Science Education Department in the spring term of 2013-2014 academic years. The data collection tools were environmental education self-efficacy beliefs scale developed by Ozdemir, Aydın and Vural (2009) and drawings drawn by science teacher candidates to determine their perspectives on environmental problems. The experimental study took 7 weeks (21 hours). The first week involved the acquaintance with the students and briefing them about the study. Also, in this week, an educational plan related to the argumentation implementation was prepared and applied. And this week finally, scales were administered as pretest. The study started in the second week. The study took five weeks as three hours a week. Last week scales were administered as posttest. In quantitative data analysis paired samples t-test was used. For the analysis of qualitative data, categorical analysis technique, one of the content analysis techniques, was used. At the end of the study, it was observed that the science teacher candidates’ self-efficacy beliefs according to environmental education statistically differed in favor of the post-test. In addition, it was also found that, at the end of the study, science teacher candidates' perceptions of environmental problems differed according to their self-efficacy beliefs.
Analyzing Four-Year Public University and Two-Year College Graduation Rates
Authors: Ober David R. , Beekman John A. , Pierce Rebecca L.
Published: March 2018

This paper examines the graduation rates between 2000 and 2015 of United States colleges and universities at the national, state, and institutional levels. This research focuses on two-year and four-year programs. Rates are investigated longitudinally along with variables that distinguish between public/private institutions, percentages of full-time and part-time enrollments, a variety of completion times, and levels of academic achievement at entry that include SAT scores and high school GPAs. The paper uses a logistic growth function that has been used by other researchers to model four-, five-, and six-year graduation rates of individuals and selected cohort groups; graduation rate trajectories for students of differing academic achievement backgrounds are projected into the future to demonstrate maximum graduation rates expected for entering cohorts. Included is the analysis of national, state, and institutional graduation-rate results in four-year institutions of the 50 states; examples from 14 public colleges and universities in Indiana and several surrounding states are also considered. In addition to fitting their graduation rates to the logistic function and extracting associated growth variables, we use percentages of part-time students to predict two- and four-year graduation rates at the national, state, and institutional levels in the 50 states. The analysis examined the graduation rates between 2000 and 2015 of United States colleges and universities and showed no correlation between a state’s two-year and four-year cohort graduation rates; verified an inverse mathematical relationship between graduation rates and percentage of part-time students; confirmed that for median SAT scores of 800 or lower one expects very low on-time graduation rates.
The Hodge diamond of O’Grady’s six-dimensional example
Authors: Mongardi Giovanni , Rapagnetta Antonio , Saccà Giulia
Published: March 2018

We realize O’Grady’s six-dimensional example of an irreducible holomorphic symplectic (IHS) manifold as a quotient of an IHS manifold of$\text{K3}^{[3]}$type by a birational involution, thereby computing its Hodge numbers.
A single exercise bout and locomotor learning after stroke: physiological, behavioural, and computational outcomes
Authors: Charalambous Charalambos C. , Alcantara Carolina C. , French Margaret A. , Li Xin , Matt Kathleen S. , Kim Hyosub E. , Morton Susanne M. , Reisman Darcy S.
Published: March 2018

Key points

Previous work demonstrated an effect of a single high‐intensity exercise bout coupled with motor practice on the retention of a newly acquired skilled arm movement, in both neurologically intact and impaired adults.

In the present study, using behavioural and computational analyses we demonstrated that a single exercise bout, regardless of its intensity and timing, did not increase the retention of a novel locomotor task after stroke.

Considering both present and previous work, we postulate that the benefits of exercise effect may depend on the type of motor learning (e.g. skill learning, sensorimotor adaptation) and/or task (e.g. arm accuracy‐tracking task, walking).

Acute high‐intensity exercise coupled with motor practice improves the retention of motor learning in neurologically intact adults. However, whether exercise could improve the retention of locomotor learning after stroke is still unknown. Here, we investigated the effect of exercise intensity and timing on the retention of a novel locomotor learning task (i.e. split‐belt treadmill walking) after stroke. Thirty‐seven people post stroke participated in two sessions, 24 h apart, and were allocated to active control (CON), treadmill walking (TMW), or total body exercise on a cycle ergometer (TBE). In session 1, all groups exercised for a short bout (∼5 min) at low (CON) or high (TMW and TBE) intensity and before (CON and TMW) or after (TBE) the locomotor learning task. In both sessions, the locomotor learning task was to walk on a split‐belt treadmill in a 2:1 speed ratio (100% and 50% fast‐comfortable walking speed) for 15 min. To test the effect of exercise on 24 h retention, we applied behavioural and computational analyses. Behavioural data showed that neither high‐intensity group showed greater 24 h retention compared to CON, and computational data showed that 24 h retention was attributable to a slow learning process for sensorimotor adaptation. Our findings demonstrated that acute exercise coupled with a locomotor adaptation task, regardless of its intensity and timing, does not improve retention of the novel locomotor task after stroke. We postulate that exercise effects on motor learning may be context specific (e.g. type of motor learning and/or task) and interact with the presence of genetic variant (BDNF Val66Met).
Slaying the Dragon
Authors: Ferrari Mauro
Published: March 2018

This article explains how nanomechanics can be used to treat metastatic cancer. Metastatic cancers are the cancers that spread from the organ in which they originated to other organs. Indeed, the rate at which metastatic cancers, especially those that grow in the lungs, liver, and brain, are cured remains abysmally low and they are responsible for the vast majority of cancer deaths. Nanodrugs in current clinical use have extended the lives of many metastatic patients on the order of weeks to months. The nanodrugs use nanoparticle materials such as liposomes and albumin to be injected into the bloodstream. These nanoparticles can also be added with a decoration of biomolecular recognition agents on the surfaces, such as antibodies that recognize cancer specifically. A new, multifunctional therapeutic agent (MSV-pX) has also been demonstrated by researchers which completely cured about 50 percent of animals with breast cancers, metastatic to the lungs, in several different mouse models.
Dreaming in 3-D
Authors: Brown Alan S.
Published: March 2018

This article discusses how three-dimensional (3-D) printing technology has advanced in the past few years. The 3-D printing technology has been around for more than three decades, but it has come a long way in the past few years. It has established niches in everything from jet engines to oil and gas drilling. It is used to customize such personalized products as orthodontics, hearing aids, and arch and sole supports. Laboratories have printed small robots that come out of the printer with their batteries in place. Printers have created complete automobiles and turbine engines, and even artificial bones and organs. Politicians in the United States now propose 3-D printing as the solution to America’s manufacturing problems. Corporations imagine that this technology could slash time in product cycles and improve performance with new designs. Some people also envision a future where people would be manufacturing products (and replacement parts) at their homes using 3-D printing technology.
Making Fuel While the Sun Shines
Authors: Ozalp Nesrin , Sattler Christian , Klausner James F. , Miller James E.
Published: March 2018

This article explores uses of solar energy as a substitute to fossil fuels. Solar energy is usually considered in terms of making electricity; however, it also has the potential to supplant fossil fuels in the production of liquid fuels, and in driving endothermic industrial processes. Solar thermochemical processes are feasible, and a solar power concentration process that harnesses sunlight’s infrared energy is the best suited technology for making solar fuels a reality. Another area in which solar commodity production may have advantages over traditional industrial practice is in the separation of pure metal and oxygen from metal oxides found naturally in many ore deposits. Solar fuels can provide a stable and strategically important energy resource; some may consider them to be the ideal solution for sustainable energy independence. Solar thermochemistry could potentially have the biggest impact in the production of hydrogen-derived fuels which would be capable of replacing those derived from fossil fuels.
Tech Transfer Ultra-Light
Authors: Siegel R.P.
Published: March 2018

This article presents overview of various aspects and use of a solar-powered airplane. The plane, Solar Impulse 2, started on its world tour in March from Abu Dhabi. The founders of the project, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, are taking turns as pilots. Solvay, a French company that makes high-performance polymers, became an early partner. The airplane’s 72-meter-long wing spars had extraordinary structural and weight requirements. The Solar Impulse team came up with a laminate, consisting of a honeycomb structure, made of a high-performance Torlon polymer provided by Solvay, sandwiched between super-thin layers of carbon fiber composite. Lightweight, highly efficient foam insulation is being tested by Bayer in affordable housing in the Philippines and Malaysia. Solar Impulse could not afford cabin pressurization or heating because of weight requirements. Instead, designers insulated the cabin so that retaining the pilot’s body heat and that of the instruments would keep conditions bearable. Engineers at Bayer went to work on some ultra-lightweight and highly effective polyurethane foam insulation. Solar Impulse has helped push technological limits.
Data, Data Everywhere
Authors: Martin John
Published: March 2018

This article explores evolution of product lifecycle management (PLM) and its advantages. PLM is commonly defined as a set of applications that enable the creation, design, and development of new products through rollout, servicing, upgrade, and end of life. PLM seller Dassault Systèmes, for example, said its 3DExperience platform is compliant with more than 40 standards requested by industry, including web, communication, visualization, and security standards. Most PLM software is able to generate reports from information located in a single system; but only skilled users are able to access, aggregate, and analyze real-time structured and unstructured data found in multiple applications across the organization. Social networks are cropping up in PLM, helping users quickly identify and construct communities with complementary skills to solve problems and enable processes. The experts comment that wherever the end user is working, behind the scenes, the PLM platform is ensuring real-time visibility and control—driving better products and reducing liability and risk.
Gas Turbine Cooling Flows and Their Influence in Output
Authors: Gregory Brent A. , Moroz Oleg
Published: March 2018

This article presents the importance of understanding cooling flow monitoring especially when applied to land-based gas turbines. Cooling flows are necessary for the engine to function; however, too much cooling has a negative impact on the performance and output. Strategically placed instrumentation in the cooling flow delivery system can monitor the health and hence the output of the gas turbine generator utilized in a simple or combined cycle operation. In order to monitor cooling flows, a good approach is to look at disc cavity temperatures as well as bypass valve positions. It is best to trend both bypass valve position and disc cavity temperatures over a range of temperatures and engine load operation to get a better idea if the orifice plates in the main lines are sized properly. A quick way to determine whether there are cooling issues in an engine or not is to trend disc cavity temperature and bypass valve positions {AQ: Edits have been made in this sentence “A quick…valve positions.” for better readability. Please check and correct if necessary.}
Robotic Fish
Authors: Phamduy Paul , Porfiri Maurizio
Published: March 2018

This paper discusses implementation and use of robotic fish in science education. Biologically inspired robotic fish have been found to be particularly engaging, likely due to the additional connections to the natural world they can offer. Thus, a few robotic fish exhibits have been deployed to engage and educate visitors in public aquariums and expositions. However, such exhibits are often limited in the level of interactivity they afford, which is known to be a key factor in informal science education. A novel interactive robotic fish exhibit has been developed at the Dynamical Systems Laboratory of New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering. The platform has been well received by visitors and has contributed to increasing their interest in robotics. Integrating natural user interfaces and autonomous charging into the exhibit are expected to further enhance the visitor experience and strengthen the feasibility of robotics-based informal science education {AQ: An edit has been made in this sentence “Integrating natural… science education.”, for the verb to match with its subjects. Please check and correct if necessary.}.