bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treating the troponin: adverse consequences of over-treatment of elevated troponin in non-coronary presentations
Authors: Morrow A , Ahmad F , Steele C , McEntegart M , Murdoch D
Published: November 2018

Background and aims

Anti-platelet and anti-thrombotic therapy are well-established treatments in acute coronary syndromes. Highly sensitive assays have diminished the positive predictive value of troponin in acute coronary syndromes and increased the importance of the clinical assessment in interpreting positive results. This cohort study sought to investigate over-treatment of non-coronary troponin rises and associated adverse outcomes.

Methods and results

We reviewed 223 consecutive patients presenting to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, with suspected acute coronary syndromes over a six-week period. Of these, 27 (12%) met our ‘inappropriate therapy’ criteria. This group had a low ischaemic risk (HEART score: 4.2 ± 1.4) (GRACE score: 117 ± 30.8) but an intermediate-high bleeding risk (CRUSADE score: 34 ± 14.5). Approximately half of the patients (14/27, 52%) reported chest pain, with only 4/27 (15%) having ischaemic ECG changes. There were three intracranial haemorrhages, each after the patient had received a single dose of aspirin, ticagrelor and fondaparinux.

Conclusion

The combination of injudicious high-sensitivity troponin testing with potent anti-platelet and anti-thrombotic therapy was associated with possible over-treatment of patients and associated harm. Emphasis on interpretation of troponin in the context of clinical presentation and improved awareness of type 2 myocardial infarction are essential to limit iatrogenic pharmacological harm.
Towards new ethics guidelines: the ethics of online therapy in South Africa
Authors: Chipise Ever-merry , Wassenaar Douglas , Wilkinson Abigail
Published: November 2018

The burgeoning increase in Internet access and use in South Africa and globally has opened a new doorway for provision of mental health services online. This descriptive study focuses specifically on psychotherapeutic services provided by South African psychologists. Draft guidelines for online therapy were developed and a sample of South African registered psychologists was asked to review, rate, and comment on the draft guidelines via an online survey. The sample also identified key ethical dilemmas arising from the novel use of this modality in South Africa. The draft guidelines were positively appraised by the majority of participants supporting the value of such guidelines in South Africa. Key ethical dilemmas identified included confidentiality, competence, boundaries, technological limitations, emergency situations, nature of therapeutic process, security of records, payment, and verification of identity.
Same Book, Different Bookmarks: The Development and Preliminary Validation of the Bible Verse Selection Task as a Measure of Christian Fundamentalism
Authors: Rouse Steven V. , Haas Heather A. , Lammert Brian C. , Eastman Kyle D.
Published: November 2018

The development and preliminary validation of a new measure of Christian fundamentalism required a multi-stage process. In an initial exploratory study, participants indicated which of a set of Bible verses were most central to their faith, and factor analysis was used to identify verses that appeared to tap a latent dimension of religious fundamentalism (Study 1). These relationships were retested with a new method in a new sample (Study 2), and the items that predicted fundamentalism in both samples were incorporated into a new measure of Christian fundamentalism, the Bible Verse Selection Task (BVST). The forced-choice format of the BVST may be less impacted by social desirability response styles that may affect scores on existing fundamentalism scales (Studies 3 and 4) while preserving useful levels of criterion-related validity (Study 5) and convergent evidence of construct validity (Study 6). These studies provide initial psychometric evidence for the BVST as an internally consistent measure of Christian fundamentalism that predicts scores on other fundamentalism scales and related constructs including traditionalism, authoritarianism, and political conservativism.
“The Police Cannot Be Present at Every Transaction”: Regulating Marketplace Meetings between Taxi Drivers and Passengers in Asheville, North Carolina, 1914-1922
Authors: Epstein Seth
Published: November 2018

This article examines the contentious regulation of taxicabs in Asheville, North Carolina, to explore the strains on and supplements to paternalistic ways of knowing and governing in New South cities in the early twentieth century. Authorities attempted to manage marketplace meetings between drivers and patrons to create predictable and transparent places out of taxis in motion. Regulations governed who could act as driver and as customer, where they could meet, and the rates that the former could charge. However, each of these stages tended to produce spaces that resisted elites’ disciplinary aspirations. The regulation of taxis undermined paternalistic ways of governing and knowing the city while facilitating the dispersal of objective knowledge-creating technologies such as taximeters. Commissioners’ exercise of power rested on the belief that they could know taxi drivers, while taximeters’ exercise of power rested on the belief that they could know the city.
What Do Parents Regret About Having Children? Communicating Regrets Online
Authors: Moore Julia , Abetz Jenna S.
Published: November 2018

Drawing on user-generated threads from Reddit as a data source, symbolic interactionism and qualitative thematic analysis were used to investigate how, specifically, parents communicate regret in relation to having children. Two fundamental categories of regret were identified. In the more common category of regretting certain circumstances associated with having children, parents emphasized that they did not regret their children but regretted one or more conditions of having children, including (a) timing, (b) number, (c) sacrifice, (d) partner, and (e) the external world. The less common category of regretting having children stemmed from (a) difficult children, (b) self as bad parent, (c) parenthood disdain, and (d) childfree desire. These parents articulated that if they could go back in time, they would not have had children. Conversations in online forums like Reddit legitimize regret as a unique emotion of parenthood, which defy the social and emotional norms of motherhood and fatherhood roles.
Is Variation in Biological and Residential Ties to Children Linked to Mothers’ Parental Stress and Perceptions of Coparenting?
Authors: Guzzo Karen Benjamin , Hemez Paul , Anderson Lydia , Manning Wendy D. , Brown Susan L.
Published: November 2018

Mothers with children from prior relationships or with stepchildren may perceive greater challenges in parenting than their counterparts in less complex families. We use the Families and Relationships Study to analyze parental stress and perceptions of coparenting among cohabiting and married mothers with resident minor children ( N = 679). Compared with mothers with only shared children, parental stress and perceptions of coparenting generally do not differ when mothers have children from prior unions. However, mothers with resident stepchildren evaluate the distribution of child care as less fair, consider their partners as less reliable coparents, and rate their partner more poorly as a coparent relative to those with no stepchildren. These findings suggest that creating a stepfamily through one’s own children may not present additional parenting challenges or stressors, whereas having stepchildren introduced through a partner may be linked to a different, and less positive, parenting experience.
Men as Carers in Long-Term Caring: Doing Gender and Doing Kinship
Authors: Comas-d’Argemir Dolors , Soronellas Montserrat
Published: November 2018

In this article, we examine men’s involvement in long-term care for the elderly or sick relatives to locate changes in gender and kinship relations. Research on care has highlighted the role of gender, but has been blind as regards the link between care and kinship, which is taken as a given. We consider care as work and care as kinship by means of the concepts of “doing gender” and “doing kinship.” We use data from the qualitative research we are undertaking in Catalonia (Spain) and this text is based on 49 interviews. We found that men are becoming new agents in care, due to social and cultural changes which are leading to a renegotiation of how care is allocated. Caring produces gender and produces kinship, and as such the involvement of men in care resignifies the contents of these relations and calls the nature of these changes into question.
Sexual intimacy challenges as markers of relational turbulence in couples with depression
Authors: Delaney Amy L.
Published: November 2018

Using the relational turbulence model, I test a model in which relational uncertainty and interference from a partner mediate the relationship between depressive symptoms and sexual intimacy challenges for couples with depression. Couples in whom one or both partners were clinically diagnosed with depression completed an online survey of closed-ended items. Results suggest depressive symptoms associate with relational uncertainty, and men’s depressive symptoms predict both their own and their partner’s interference from a partner. Interference from a partner emerged as a mediator for sexual intimacy challenges. The findings highlight partner interference as a mechanism of upheaval for couples with depression, and the results stand to help practitioners identify and mitigate sexual intimacy challenges.
Deep learning algorithms to identify documentation of serious illness conversations during intensive care unit admissions
Authors: Chan Alex , Chien Isabel , Moseley Edward , Salman Saad , Kaminer Bourland Sarah , Lamas Daniela , Walling Anne M , Tulsky James A , Lindvall Charlotta
Published: November 2018

Background:

Timely documentation of care preferences is an endorsed quality indicator for seriously ill patients admitted to intensive care units. Clinicians document their conversations about these preferences as unstructured free text in clinical notes from electronic health records.

Aim:

To apply deep learning algorithms for automated identification of serious illness conversations documented in physician notes during intensive care unit admissions.

Design:

Using a retrospective dataset of physician notes, clinicians annotated all text documenting patient care preferences (goals of care or code status limitations), communication with family, and full code status. Clinician-coded text was used to train algorithms to identify documentation and to validate algorithms. The validated algorithms were deployed to assess the percentage of intensive care unit admissions of patients aged ⩾75 that had care preferences documented within the first 48 h.

Setting/participants:

Patients admitted to one of five intensive care units.

Results:

Algorithm performance was calculated by comparing machine-identified documentation to clinician-coded documentation. For detecting care preference documentation at the note level, the algorithm had F1-score of 0.92 (95% confidence interval, 0.89 to 0.95), sensitivity of 93.5% (95% confidence interval, 90.0% to 98.0%), and specificity of 91.0% (95% confidence interval, 86.4% to 95.3%). Applied to 1350 admissions of patients aged ⩾75, we found that 64.7% of patient intensive care unit admissions had care preferences documented within the first 48 h.

Conclusion:

Deep learning algorithms identified patient care preference documentation with sensitivity and specificity approaching that of clinicians and computed in a tiny fraction of time. Future research should determine the generalizability of these methods in multiple healthcare systems.
Relationship Between Parenting Styles and Adolescents’ Self-Esteem
Authors: Aremu Tolulope A. , John-Akinola Yetunde O. , Desmennu Adeyimika T.
Published: November 2018

Poor self-esteem among adolescents poses a great challenge, which parenting styles can influence. This study examined gender differences in perceived parenting styles and self-esteem of adolescents and examined the relationship between perceived parenting styles and adolescents’ self-esteem among in-school adolescents in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. This study utilized a multistage sampling technique. Responses were elicited from 504 consenting pupils using the parental authority questionnaire and a self-esteem questionnaire adjusted to the Rosenberg scale. Self-esteem was scored on a (12–30) scale; scores ≥ 26 indicate high self-esteem, and scores ≤ 25 indicate low self-esteem. The mean age and self-esteem score were 14.9±1.5 years and 24.0±3.3. About one third of respondents reported parenting styles as authoritative or flexible (fathers: 36.3%, mothers: 38.9%). Pearson correlation coefficient test showed a positive significant relationship between flexible parenting style and adolescent self-esteem for fathers ( r = 0.141, p = .001) and mothers ( r = 0.137, p = .001). Research findings reveal significant association between perceived parenting styles and adolescents’ self-esteem.
Log-transformed B-type natriuretic peptide as a prognostic predictor in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery
Authors: Takagi Sho , Machida Yuichiro , Kobata Takashi , Sakamoto Daisuke , Sakamoto Shigeru , Kanda Tsugiyasu
Published: November 2018

Objective

This study was performed to explore the association between circulating B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and other mortality-related factors in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery.

Methods

In this observational study, multilevel linear regression analysis and multilevel survival analysis were performed to measure the log-transformed BNP (lnBNP) value at four time points in 197 patients with 788 repeated data measurements. Effects of the interaction between the time points and the two intervention groups (cardiac surgery and vascular surgery) were also investigated. Six models were evaluated to identify the best fit for the data. Stata/MP® version 14.2 (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA) was used to analyze the two-level variance component model fitting.

Results

There were significant differences in the fixed-effect parameters of lnBNP, such as the time point, age, body mass index, emergency operation, prognostic nutritional index, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. According to the multilevel survival analysis for all-cause death and vascular death, lnBNP significantly differed and was a common prognostic marker.

Conclusion

As lnBNP increased by 1 point, all-cause death increased 2.07 times and vascular death increased 3.10 times. lnBNP is an important prognostic predictor and quantitative biochemical marker in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery.
Freeze-dried chitosan-platelet-rich plasma implants improve supraspinatus tendon attachment in a transosseous rotator cuff repair model in the rabbit
Authors: Deprés-Tremblay Gabrielle , Chevrier Anik , Snow Martyn , Rodeo Scott , Buschmann Michael D
Published: November 2018

Rotator cuff tears result in shoulder pain, stiffness, weakness and loss of motion. After surgical repair, high failure rates have been reported based on objective imaging and it is recognized that current surgical treatments need improvement. The aim of the study was to assess whether implants composed of freeze-dried chitosan (CS) solubilized in autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can improve rotator cuff repair in a rabbit model. Complete tears were created bilaterally in the supraspinatus tendon of New Zealand White rabbits ( n = 4 in a pilot feasibility study followed by n = 13 in a larger efficacy study), which were repaired using transosseous suturing. On the treated side, CS-PRP implants were injected into the transosseous tunnels and the tendon itself, and healing was assessed histologically at time points ranging from one day to two months post-surgery. CS-PRP implants were resident within transosseous tunnels and adhered to tendon surfaces at one day post-surgery and induced recruitment of polymorphonuclear cells from 1 to 14 days. CS-PRP implants improved attachment of the supraspinatus tendon to the humeral head through increased bone remodelling at the greater tuberosity and also inhibited heterotopic ossification of the supraspinatus tendon at two months. In addition, the implants did not induce any detectable deleterious effects. This preliminary study provides the first evidence that CS-PRP implants could be effective in improving rotator cuff tendon attachment in a small animal model.
Evaluation of the bioactivity about anti-sca-1/basic fibroblast growth factor-urinary bladder matrix scaffold for pelvic reconstruction
Authors: Li Jiankui , Chen Xi , Ling Kaijian , Liang Zhiqing , Xu Huicheng
Published: November 2018

Introduction and hypothesis: Pelvic support structure injury is the major cause of pelvic organ prolapse. At present, polypropylene-based filler material has been suggested as a common method to treat pelvic organ prolapse. However, it cannot functionally rehabilitate the pelvic support structure. In addition to its poor long-term efficiency, the urinary bladder matrix was the most suitable biological scaffold material for pelvic floor repair. Here, we hypothesize that anti-sca-1 monoclonal antibody and basic fibroblast growth factor were cross-linked to urinary bladder matrix to construct a two-factor bioscaffold for pelvic reconstruction.

Methods

Through a bispecific cross-linking reagent, sulfosuccinimidyl 4-[N-maleimidomethyl] cyclohexane-1-carboxylate (sulfo-smcc) immobilized anti-sca-1 and basic fibroblast growth factor to urinary bladder matrix. Then scanning electron microscope and plate reader were used to detect whether the anti-sca-1/basic fibroblast growth factor-urinary bladder matrix scaffold was built successfully. After that, the capacity of enriching sca-1 positive cells was measured both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we evaluated the differentiation capacity and biocompatibility of the scaffold. Finally, western blotting was used to detect the level of fibulin-5 protein.

Results

The scanning electron microscope and plate reader revealed that the double-factor biological scaffold was built successfully. The scaffold could significantly enrich a large number of sca-1 positive cells both in vitro and in vivo, and obviously accelerate cells and differentiate functional tissue with good biocompatibility. Moreover, the western blotting showed that the scaffold could improve the expression of fibulin-5 protein.

Conclusion

The anti-sca-1/basic fibroblast growth factor-urinary bladder matrix scaffold revealed good biological properties and might serve as an ideal scaffold for pelvic reconstruction.
Male Sexual Victimization: Examining Variation in the Probability of Weapon Use and Victim Injury
Authors: Dierenfeldt Rick , Balemba Samantha
Published: November 2018

The sexual victimization of adult males remains an understudied subject within criminology. Prior research has generally been restricted to descriptive analysis of small clinical samples and inmate populations. Using general strain theory (GST), this study examines the simultaneous influence of community- and incident-level factors on the likelihood of weapon use and victim injury in cases of adult male sexual victimization. This study applies hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) to 2,155 cases of sexual victimization of adult males nested within 113 U.S. cities. Community-level data are procured from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year summary file and incident-level data are taken from cases of sexual violence contained in the 2011-2015 National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Findings demonstrate moderate support for GST as a framework through which to examine male sexual victimization, as community levels of disadvantage/violence and ethnic heterogeneity, as well as offender gender, race, intoxication, and weapon use each exhibit statistically significant relations with crime severity. This study finds that community and situational context are each important in predicting weapon use and victim injury, demonstrating the need to further explore male sexual victimization from a multilevel perspective.
Containment: Exploring the concept of agency in children’s statutory encounters with social workers
Authors: Morrison Fiona , Cree Viviene , Ruch Gillian , Winter Karen Michelle , Hadfield Mark , Hallett Sophie
Published: November 2018

This article examines children’s agency in their interactions with social workers during statutory encounters in a child protection context. It draws from a UK-wide ethnographic study. It finds that much of social workers’ responses to children’s agency in this context are best understood as a form of ‘containment’. In doing so, it offers an original and significant contribution to the theoretical understanding of children’s agency, as well as its application in social work practice.
Testing interventions to improve response to a National Health Service Staff Survey
Authors: Sizmur Steve , Roth Firona
Published: November 2018

The National Health Service Staff Survey is an annual, England-wide survey of staff employed by National Health Service organisations. It is administered using online and paper questionnaires. Response rates have fallen over time, while the proportion of staff receiving the online version – which historically has a lower response rate – has increased. Three interventions to increase online response were tested using an experimental design: more reminders; change of signatory to the invitation to participate and concise messaging in the invitation. Thirteen thousand staff members in five National Health Service trusts received the online survey. Results were analysed using contingency tables and logistic regression to determine the effect of interventions independently and in combination. More reminders improved response by six percentage points (odds ratio 1.33, 95% CI 1.23–1.43) and concise messaging by two percentage points (odds ratio 1.08, 95% CI 1.00–1.17). Change of signatory had no statistically significant effect and neither did any combination of the interventions. Given that costs for the successful interventions were minimal, more reminders in combination with concise messaging are recommended as a strategy to improve online response to the survey.
Parallel model adaptive Kalman filtering for autonomous navigation with line-of-sight measurements
Authors: Xiong Kai , Wei Chunling , Zhang Haoyu
Published: November 2018

In this paper, a parallel model adaptive Kalman filtering algorithm is presented for multiple sensors estimation fusion when the measurement noise statistics are uncertain. As a typical adaptive filtering algorithm, the multiple model adaptive estimation tries to reduce the dependency of the filter on the noise parameters. It utilizes multiple models with different noise levels to estimate the state and combines the model-dependent estimates with model probability. However, with the increase in the number of active sensors, a large number of models are required to cover the entire range of the possible noise parameter values, which can become computationally infeasible. The main goal of this work is to incorporate the noise statistic estimator in the framework of the multiple model adaptive estimation, such that only two models are required for each sensor, which significantly reduce the complexity of the estimator. The advantage of the presented algorithm to deal with the model uncertainty is studied analytically. The high performance of the parallel model adaptive Kalman filtering for autonomous satellite navigation using inter-satellite line-of-sight measurements is illustrated in comparison with a robust Kalman filter, an intrinsically Bayesian robust Kalman filter, and the traditional multiple model adaptive estimation.
From crisis to crisis: Capitalism, chaos and constant unpredictability
Authors: Chowdhury Anis , Żuk Piotr
Published: November 2018

Far from being an event of a decade ago, the 2008 global financial crisis is a manifestation of an ongoing crisis of the world order, with social, political and ecological dimensions that cannot be seen separately from each other. The root cause of the crisis can be traced back to the collapse of the Bretton Woods System in August 1971, and the failure to design an equitable and inclusive global financial and economic governance architecture consistent with the changed global economic realities. The vacuum was quickly taken up by the neoliberal orthodoxy that pushed the agenda of wholesale liberalisation, resulting in unprecedented domination of speculative finance capital and multinational corporation–led globalisation. This has seen falling share of wages in national income, growing wealth concentration, rising income inequality and ballooning of household debts. The consequence was frequent and increasingly deeper and wider financial crises.
Factors that facilitate and constrain the utilization of a Kaupapa Māori therapeutic approach with Mahi-a-Atua
Authors: Kopua Diana M
Published: November 2018

Objectives:

To further progress Kaupapa Māori ( Māori focused) approaches within mental health services this study explored the experiences of Māori clinicians from a dedicated Māori mental health service in New Zealand, with a focus on a specific Kaupapa Māori therapeutic approach, Mahi-a-Atua.

Methods:

A qualitative approach was used to ascertain factors that facilitate and obstruct the utilization of Mahi-a-Atua. In a focus group hui ( Māori meeting process), eight Māori clinicians discussed their experiences.

Results:

Facilitation of Mahi-a-Atua by Māori clinicians occurred through interconnectedness of a number of factors including cultural identity, relationships, wairuatanga (spirituality), kaitiakitanga (guardianship), validation of the model and the ability to co-work and engage in meaningful wānanga (learning) around the intervention. The extent to which clinicians used the model depended on their own perceived knowledge and confidence and how best able to integrate both cultural and clinical knowledge. Other constraining factors pertained to inadequate prior training, limited workforce development training and lack of adequate resourcing for specialized services.

Conclusions:

This research highlights the need for Māori focused specialized training that utilizes co-working within sessions and ongoing wānanga.
Biosocial Risk Factors for Academic Dishonesty: Testing a New Mediation Model in Young Adults
Authors: Portnoy Jill , Legee Kate , Raine Adrian , Choy Olivia , Rudo-Hutt Anna S.
Published: November 2018

Researchers increasingly recognize that biological risk factors contribute to the development of antisocial behavior. Although academic dishonesty is a pervasive problem, this type of antisocial behavior has not been investigated in biosocial research. This article addresses this limitation by examining the relationship between academic dishonesty and resting heart rate in a sample of undergraduates ( N = 149, 65.69% female, M age = 19.62 years). Subjects completed self-report academic dishonesty questionnaires, and heart rate was measured during a resting period. Low resting heart rate was associated with more frequent and varied academic dishonesty in females, but not in males. Self-control and sensation seeking, but not fearlessness, mediated this relationship in females. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine a biological risk factor for academic dishonesty. This is also the first study to examine self-control as a possible mediator of the resting heart rate–antisocial behavior relationship in adults. Findings suggest a potential pathway in young adults through which low resting heart rate may affect antisocial behavior.
Recurrent PAX 6 mutation in a Chinese family with congenital aniridia, progressive cataracts and mental retardation
Authors: Chen Dou-Dou , Yang Tao , Zhu Si-Quan
Published: November 2018

Background:

One prominent pathological feature of congenital aniridia is hypoplasia of the iris, often accompanied by other eye abnormalities. The objective of this study is to identify gene mutations responsible for autosomal dominance in a Chinese family with congenital aniridia, progressive cataracts and mental retardation.

Methods:

A total of 11 family members, including 6 affected and 5 unaffected individuals were recruited. Whole exome sequencing was performed on the proband and Sanger sequencing was applied to identify the causal mutation in the other family members and control samples.

Results:

A heterozygous mutation, c. 112delC (p. Arg38fs) in PAX 6, was identified in the family that was associated with congenital aniridia, progressive cataracts and mental retardation. The mutation was exclusively observed in all affected individuals but not in unaffected family members or unrelated healthy controls without aniridia recruited from Beijing Tongren Hospital. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the mutation c. 112delC (p. Arg38fs) in PAX 6 affected sugar phosphate backbone construction, leading to half reduction of the full-length protein. Other symptoms such as lens opacity, keratitis, lens dislocation, ciliary body hypoplasia, foveal hypoplasia and mental development retardation were also observed in this family.

Conclusion:

These results provided a new insight into the effects of PAX 6 as a mutational hotspot, with a symptom complex that includes congenital aniridia, progressive cataracts and mental retardation. These findings suggested the cognitive treatment of PAX 6-mutated individuals could be considered earlier clinically, combined with medication or surgery of congenital aniridia and progressive cataracts.
Enhancement and desert
Authors: Douglas Thomas
Published: November 2018

It is sometimes claimed that those who succeed with the aid of enhancement technologies deserve the rewards associated with their success less, other things being equal, than those who succeed without the aid of such technologies. This claim captures some widely held intuitions, has been implicitly endorsed by participants in social–psychological research and helps to undergird some otherwise puzzling philosophical objections to the use of enhancement technologies. I consider whether it can be provided with a rational basis. I examine three arguments that might be offered in its favour and argue that each either shows only that enhancements undermine desert in special circumstances or succeeds only under assumptions that deprive the appeal to desert of much of its dialectic interest.
What Happens When Trained Graduate Student Instructors Switch to an Open Textbook? A Controlled Study of the Impact on Student Learning Outcomes
Authors: Hardin Erin E. , Eschman Bret , Spengler Elliot S. , Grizzell J. Alex , Moody Anahvia Taiyib , Ross-Sheehy Shannon , Fry Kevin M.
Published: November 2018

Open educational resources (OER) are increasingly attractive options for reducing educational costs, yet controlled studies of their efficacy are lacking. The current study addressed many criticisms of past research by accounting for course and instructor characteristics in comparing objective student learning outcomes across multiple sections of General Psychology taught by trained graduate student instructors at a large research-intensive university. We found no evidence that use of the OER text impeded students' critical thinking compared to use of a traditional textbook, even after accounting for instructor characteristics. To the contrary, we found evidence of a slight increase in content knowledge when using an OER text. Importantly, this effect was driven by improvements from both our lowest-performing students and our highest-performing students. Moreover, student learning outcomes were not influenced by instructor experience, suggesting even novice instructors fared well with OER materials. Finally, students from traditionally underserved populations reported the lower cost of the book had a significantly higher impact on their decision to enroll in and remain enrolled in the course.
Road lighting automation scenarios depending on traffic speed and volume
Authors: Buyukkinaci B , Onaygil S , Guler O , Yurtseven MB
Published: November 2018

In this study, experimental studies that the authors have previously performed on a test road for fixed observer conditions to determine the visibility levels are extended to the moving observer position. As a result of the measurements and tests, when the vehicle speed is constant at the current speed limits for urban roads, it has been seen that the visibility level values in the calculation area remain within the acceptable limits and changing the luminous fluxes will not significantly change the visual performance of the drivers up to two lower lighting classes. It has been shown that the light level can be reduced to create two additional classes besides the current one when the traffic density decreases, at the times when vehicle speeds do not decrease. The results are applied as a case study on the Cendere Street. Road lighting classes are determined according to the EN 13201-1 Technical Report. Road lighting classes that can be applied at different times in the Cendere Street change between M3 and M5 according to the average speed of the passing vehicles, traffic density, road and ambient conditions. It is estimated that about 40% energy saving can be achieved when a lighting automation system is installed.
Description of Doppler waveforms to detect lower extremity peripheral artery disease
Authors: Lanéelle Damien , Stivalet Olivier , Mahé Guillaume , Jaquinandi Vincent , Omarjee Loukman
Published: November 2018

Doppler waveforms analysis is a interesting to diagnose peripheral artery disease as suggested by the international recommendations. However as mentioned in the present letter, there is a lack of consensus about the terminology that should be used.
Automatic political discourse analysis with multi-scale convolutional neural networks and contextual data
Authors: Bilbao-Jayo Aritz , Almeida Aitor
Published: November 2018

In this article, the authors propose a new approach to automate the analysis of the political discourse of the citizens and public servants, to allow public administrations to better react to their needs and claims. The tool presented in this article can be applied to the analysis of the underlying political themes in any type of text, in order to better understand the reasons behind it. To do so, the authors have built a discourse classifier using multi-scale convolutional neural networks in seven different languages: Spanish, Finnish, Danish, English, German, French, and Italian. Each of the language-specific discourse classifiers has been trained with sentences extracted from annotated parties’ election manifestos. The analysis proves that enhancing the multi-scale convolutional neural networks with context data improves the political analysis results.
Adaptive fitting algorithm of progressive interpolation for Loop subdivision surface
Authors: Zhang Li , She Xiangrong , Ge Xianyu , Tan Jieqing
Published: November 2018

Subdivision surface and data fitting have been applied in data compression and data fusion a lot recently. Moreover, subdivision schemes have been successfully combined into multi-resolution analysis and wavelet analysis. This makes subdivision surfaces attract more and more attentions in the field of geometry compression. Progressive interpolation subdivision surfaces generated by approximating schemes were presented recently. When the number of original vertices becomes huge, the convergence speed becomes slow and computation complexity becomes huge. In order to solve these problems, an adaptive progressive interpolation subdivision scheme is presented in this article. The vertices of control mesh are classified into two classes: active vertices and fixed ones. When precision is given, the two classes of vertices are changed dynamically according to the result of each iteration. Only the active vertices are adjusted, thus the class of active vertices keeps running down while the fixed ones keep rising, which saves computation greatly. Furthermore, weights are assigned to these vertices to accelerate convergence speed. Theoretical analysis and numerical examples are also given to illustrate the correctness and effectiveness of the method.
Looseness localization for bolted joints using Bayesian operational modal analysis and modal strain energy
Authors: Hu Yu-Jia , Guo Wei-Gong , Jiang Cheng , Zhou Yun-Lai , Zhu Weidong
Published: November 2018

Bayesian operational modal analysis and modal strain energy are employed for determining the damage and looseness of bolted joints in beam structures under ambient excitation. With this ambient modal identification technique, mode shapes of a damaged beam structure with loosened bolted connections are obtained based on Bayesian theory. Then, the corresponding modal strain energy can be calculated based on the mode shapes. The modal strain energy of the structure with loosened bolted connections is compared with the theoretical one without bolted joints to define a damage index. This approach uses vibration-based nondestructive testing of locations and looseness of bolted joints in beam structures with different boundary conditions by first obtaining modal parameters from ambient vibration data. The damage index is then used to identify locations and looseness of bolted joints in beam structures with single or multiple bolted joints. Furthermore, the comparison between damage indexes due to different looseness levels of bolted connections demonstrates a qualitatively proportional relationship.
Measurement point sampling method for inspection of parts with free-form surfaces
Authors: Zhao Dezhong , Wang Wenhu , Zhou Jinhua , Jiang Ruisong , Cui Kang , Jin Qichao
Published: November 2018

Parts must be measured to evaluate the manufacturing accuracy in order to check whether their dimension is in expected tolerance. In engineering, parts with free-form surfaces are generally measured by high-precision coordinate-measuring machines. The measurement accuracy is usually improved by increasing the density of measurement points, which is time-consuming and costly. In this article, a novel sampling method of measurement points for free-form surface inspection is proposed. First, surface inspection is simplified into the inspection of a number of section curves of the surface. Second, B-spline curves constructed with an iterative method are employed to approximate these section curves. Subsequently, data points necessary to construct the B-spline curves are taken as the measurement points. Finally, the proposed method is compared with other two sampling methods. The results indicate that the proposed method greatly reduced the number of measurement points without decreasing the precision of surface modeling.
Economic pigging cycles for low-throughput pipelines
Authors: Xie Ying , Chen Diwen , Mai Fangrui
Published: November 2018

Wax deposition occurs frequently in waxy crude oil pipelines when the level of flow decreases, and pigging is needed at regular intervals. An economic pigging model is established in accordance with the objective function based on the sum of thermal costs, power costs, and single piping costs. Thus, by compiling a program, the most economical pigging cycle will be determined. Furthermore, the calculation methods for hydraulic and thermal constraints are given. Taking the example of the distance between the central processing platform and the land terminal external piping line of the M-field cluster, the effects of different inlet temperatures, throughput, and remnant wax thicknesses on the economic pigging cycle will be analyzed. The results show that with an increase in the inlet temperature, the total costs of the pipeline operation increase, while the pigging cycle will prolong. As throughput increases, total costs will decrease, while the pigging cycle also extends. When throughput is fixed, a remnant wax thickness of 0.4 mm helps reduce the total operating costs of the pipeline at different inlet temperatures. While throughput varies, a remnant wax thickness from 0.2 to 0.4 mm can reduce total costs at a fixed inlet temperature.
Operative duration-based learning period analysis for reverse and total shoulder arthroplasty: A multicenter study
Authors: Testa Edward J , Lowe Jeremiah T , Namdari Surena , Gillespie Robert J , Sears Benjamin W , Johnston Peter S ,   Rothman Institute Shoulder Consortium Group,   The Association of Shoulder Surgeons, Jawa Andrew
Published: November 2018

Background

A surgical learning period may be quantified after which operative duration is significantly reduced. We sought to retrospectively quantify and compare surgeon’s learning experience for total shoulder arthroplasty and reverse shoulder arthroplasty.

Methods

We reviewed 2055 shoulder arthroplasty cases from 2011 to 2015 for four early-career and four later-career fellowship-trained shoulder surgeons from four institutions. We plotted consecutive case number versus operative time for each surgeon separately for total shoulder arthroplasty or reverse shoulder arthroplasty. Two-step regression approach was used to determine a plateau point or end of the learning period. Additionally, the mean annual volume of reverse shoulder arthroplasty and total shoulder arthroplasty for each surgeon was plotted against mean surgery duration. Early- and later-career surgeons were compared with regression analysis.

Results

Early-career surgeons demonstrated a significant decrease in operative time with increasing annual case volume for reverse shoulder arthroplasty ( p = 0.01; m = −1.1) and total shoulder arthroplasty ( p = 0.02; m = −0.8). Three of four early-career surgeons reached a plateau point for either reverse shoulder arthroplasty or total shoulder arthroplasty between 12 and 86 cases.

Conclusion

For only early-career surgeons, higher case volume yields decreased operative duration, with improvement more pronounced for reverse shoulder arthroplasty compared to total shoulder arthroplasty. Though the learning period varies, it may be fewer than 90 cases.
Assessment of histopathology of wounds based on protein distribution detected by wound blotting
Authors: Kitamura Aya , Minematsu Takeo , Nakagami Gojiro , Sanada Hiromi
Published: November 2018

Background:

Shortening the duration of healing based on an accurate assessment is important in pressure ulcer management. This study focused on the peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase activity detected by wound blotting, a non-invasive method of collecting wound exudate, to establish a non-invasive and point-of-care assessment method for analyzing the histopathology of wounds using an animal model.

Methods:

Wounds were created on the dorsal skin of rats. Peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase activities in the wound exudate were detected by wound blotting on post-wounding days 1, 4, 7, and 10. Wound tissue was collected on the same sampling days. Peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase activity within the tissue and myeloperoxidase were visualized. Two types of peroxidase activities were detected by wound blotting: ring and non-ring signals. The histopathological features were compared between wounds with ring and non-ring signals.

Results:

The wounds with ring signals showed a high level of peroxidase activity, and histological analysis demonstrated that the secreted or deviated peroxidase activity originated from myeloperoxidase, indicating a strong inflammation reaction within the tissue. The histopathology of wounds related to the alkaline phosphatase signals was not identified.

Conclusion:

The results suggested that ring signals indicated a strong inflammatory reaction and that they could be used to assess non-visible inflammation.
Traumatic testicular displacement and torsion
Authors: Hussain Jaffar M. , Alkabbani Majd , Faty Mostafa , Al-Terki Abdullatif , Al-Shaiji Tariq F.
Published: November 2018

Level of evidence: 5.
Soluble erythropoietin receptor levels associate with inflammatory mediators but not with disease activity or cumulative organ damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Jones Heather , Raymond Warren , Eilertsen Gro , Nossent Johannes
Published: November 2018

The erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) stimulates erythrocyte proliferation after erythropoietin binding. EpoR belongs to the cytokine receptor superfamily and can be found on macrophages and endothelial cells. As there are no data on the role of EpoR systemic autoimmune diseases, we investigated the role of soluble EpoR (sEpoR) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In a cross-sectional study we recorded clinical characteristics, disease activity (SLEDAI-2K) and organ damage (SDI). sEpoR, autoantibodies and cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in SLE patients (n = 100) and compared with a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) cohort (n = 57) and a cohort with non-inflammatory back pain (NIBP; n = 89). Data were analysed with non-parametric techniques. We found no significant difference in sEpoR levels across the SLE, RA and NIBP groups and sEpoR levels were similar in patients with (6% of SLE and 31% of RA) or without anaemia. sEpoR levels were unrelated to haemoglobin levels, SLEDAI-2K or SDI scores, but in both cohorts correlated with levels for C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-1 (all P < 0.001). sEpoR levels are not involved in anaemia or erythropoietin resistance in SLE and RA patients, but closely mirror the underlying inflammatory process. This suggests that increased shedding of sEpoR during inflammation occurs at other sites than bone marrow.
Beyond Symptoms: Race and Gender Predict Anxiety Disorder Diagnosis
Authors: Vanderminden Jennifer , Esala Jennifer J.
Published: November 2018

Research shows an unequal distribution of anxiety disorder symptoms and diagnoses across social groups. Bridging stress process theory and the sociology of diagnosis and drawing on the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we examine inequity in the prevalence of anxiety symptoms versus diagnosis across social groups (the “symptom-to-diagnoses gap”). Bivariate findings suggest that while several disadvantaged groups are more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety, they are not more likely to receive a diagnosis. Multivariate results indicate that after controlling for anxiety symptoms: (1) Being female still predicts an anxiety disorder diagnosis, and (2) Native American, white, and Hispanic/Latino respondents are more likely than black respondents to receive an anxiety disorder diagnosis. We conclude by reflecting on the implications of race and gender bias in diagnosis and the health trajectories for persons with undiagnosed anxiety disorders.
The Loss of the Self in Memory: Self-Referential Memory, Childhood Relational Trauma, and Dissociation
Authors: Chiu Chui-De , Tollenaar Marieke S. , Yang Cheng-Ta , Elzinga Bernet M. , Zhang Tian-Yang , Ho Hoi Lam
Published: November 2018

The segregated representations pertinent to childhood relational trauma have long been posited as a key pathogenic mechanism for dissociation. Yet, the weak to moderate correlation of child maltreatment with dissociation proneness leads to the question about which factors may moderate the impact of adverse childhood interpersonal experiences and work synergistically in the genesis of dissociation. We hypothesized that self-referential memory may play a role and that low accessibility to self-referenced representations may obstruct the ongoing synthesis of self representations, leaving these unassimilated early experiences disintegrated and inimical to mental function in response to a stressful situation. This hypothesis was examined by two experiments in college students. The first experiment showed the association between dissociation proneness and low accessibility to self-referenced representations. The second demonstrated that low accessibility to self-referenced representations moderated the link between childhood relational trauma and dissociation proneness. Weakened self-referential memory matters in the link between trauma and dissociation.