bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Family Violence among Older Adult Patients Consulting in Primary Care Clinics: Results from the ESA (Enquête sur la santé des aînés) Services Study on Mental Health and Aging
Authors: Préville Michel , Mechakra-Tahiri Samia Djemaa , Vasiliadis Helen-Maria , Mathieu Véronique , Quesnel Louise , Gontijo-Guerra Samantha , Lamoureux-Lamarche Catherine , Berbiche Djamal
Published: July 2017

Objective:

To document the reliability and construct validity of the Family Violence Scale (FVS) in the older adult population aged 65 years and older.

Method:

Data came from a cross-sectional survey, the Enquête sur la santé des aînés et l'utilisation des services de santé (ESA Services Study), conducted in 2011–2013 using a probabilistic sample of older adults waiting for medical services in primary care clinics ( n = 1765). Family violence was defined as a latent variable, coming from a spouse and from children.

Results:

A model with 2 indicators of violence; that is, psychological and financial violence, and physical violence, adequately fitted the observed data. The reliability of the FVS was 0.95. According to our results, 16% of older adults reported experiencing some form of family violence in the past 12 months of their interview, and 3% reported a high level of family violence (FVS > 0.36). Our results showed that the victim's sex was not associated with the degree of violence (β = 0.02). However, the victim's age was associated with family violence (β = −0.12). Older adults, aged 75 years and older, reported less violence than those aged between 65 and 74 years.

Conclusion:

Our results lead us to conclude that family violence against older adults is common and warrants greater public health and political attention. General practitioners could play an active role in the detection of violence among older adults.
Antidepressant Use in Canada Has Stopped Increasing
Authors: Patten Scott B , Williams Jeanne V A , Lavorato Dina H , Fiest Kirsten M , Bulloch Andrew G M , Wang JianLi
Published: July 2017

Objective:

Large increases in the use of antidepressants (ADs) were reported in the past 2 decades in many countries, including Canada. Our objective was to determine whether this pattern of increasing use has continued, using data from a 2012 national mental health survey.

Method:

During the past 2 decades, a series of Canadian national health surveys have evaluated AD use in the household population. Some of these surveys have assessed past 2-day use whereas others have assessed self-reported past-month use. We applied meta-regression methods as a methodological strategy to address this heterogeneity and to examine long-term trends, incorporating 2012 data.

Results:

In keeping with prior reports, AD use rapidly increased in the 1990s and early 2000s. However, the 2012 data suggest that these increases have slowed or perhaps even stopped in recent years. A post hoc examination of longitudinal data from the National Population Health Survey reinforced the impression of a levelling off in the use of these medications.

Conclusion:

The frequency of AD use may now be stabilizing in the Canadian population. This emerging steady state may reflect a contemporary balance between the perceived need, perceived effectiveness, and acceptability of these medications in the general population.
Performance-Based Human Resource Management and Federal Employee’s Motivation: Moderating Roles of Goal-Clarifying Intervention, Appraisal Fairness, and Feedback Satisfaction
Authors: Lee Hyung-Woo
Published: July 2017

Although performance-based human resource management (PHRM) is commonly accepted as a norm in public organizations, many have questioned its motivational effect. Scholars have claimed that the effectiveness of PHRM depends on a number of contingencies and that managers need to consider these contingencies when implementing it. However, little research has provided empirical evidence for such assertions. In this context, this study examines how the qualities of the implementation process moderate the effect of PHRM on intrinsic motivation and work effort. Analyzing the data from the 2014 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), this study found that the motivational effect was greater for those who perceive performance appraisal as fair and are satisfied with post-assessment feedback. It was somewhat counterintuitive to find that the motivational effect was lessened when managers take active roles to communicate the goals and priorities of the organization and constantly review their employees’ progress toward meeting those goals. These results provide the workable leverages for enhancing employee motivation through PHRM. In addition, the main effect of PHRM on work effort was found to be negatively significant, while its effect on intrinsic motivation was positively significant. These unexpected findings account for the multifaceted effects of PHRM.
Student Newspapers Show Opinion Article Political Bias
Authors: Schmidt Hans C.
Published: July 2017

This analysis of political reporting and opinion pieces in student newspapers shows a significant bias against Republicans in opinion articles but greater objectivity in the news section. A pro-Democratic bias is apparent in sentences attributed as quotes in the opinion section.
Non-Elite Twitter Sources Rarely Cited in Coverage
Authors: Wallsten Kevin
Published: July 2017

This study analyzes how Twitter was used in the 2012 election coverage in four large circulation U.S. newspapers and AP stories. About 5 percent of the 5,000 election articles cited Twitter. Government officials, politicians and media professionals posted more than half the tweets.
U.S. Newspapers Provide Nuanced Picture of Islam
Authors: Bowe Brian J. , Fahmy Shahira , Matthes Jorg
Published: July 2017

This study examines how Islam is covered in 18 large circulation U.S. newspapers and finds six frames that draw a nuanced picture of how Islam is framed in the news media. Two frames are negative, one is positive and three are neutral.
New Pre- and Postoperative Care for Suction-Assisted Lipectomy Patients: Electronic Selection and Dermopharmacological Treatment
Authors: Botti G. , De Paoli G.F. , Villedieu R.
Published: July 2017

In order to obtain better results with suction-assisted lipectomy (SAL), we developed a new electronic instrument, the skin elasticity analyzer (SEA) for improving patient selection and also for testing our new “anti-skin wave” treatment, a dermopharmaceutical product created for skin elasticity enhancement.
AlloDerm® Lip Augmentation Techniques and Problem Avoidance
Authors: Kridel Russell W. H.
Published: July 2017

Introduction:

The aging process results in elongation of the white portion of the upper lip, an overall decrease in the bulk and volume of the red lip, and diminished projection of the cupid's bow. Various methods of augmentation of the lips have been attempted, including subnasal lip-lift, vermilion lip advancement, and augmentation procedures including injections of collagen and autologous fat, and placement of dermal and fascia grafts, Gore-Tex®, and Soft-form™. The new acellular dermal grafts, which were first used in 1993 for dermal replacement grafts in burn patients, are now being evaluated for use in lip augmentation.

Materials and Methods:

AlloDerm® (acellular dermal graft) was used for lip augmentation in 12 female patients. The graft was placed into the subcutaneous region (superficial to the orbicularis oris) through a small incision in the oral mucosa just superior to each commissure while the patient was anesthetized using a combination of local and regional anesthesia.

Results:

Eleven out of twelve patients were extremely pleased with the results. One patient had the graft removed because of a feeling of tightness, which restricted motion of the mouth.

Conclusions:

The acellular dermal graft provides bulk, persistence, and a natural-looking option for lip augmentation.
Hydrogel-Filled Mammary Prosthesis
Authors: Muller Guy-Henri
Published: July 2017

Introduction:

The silicone breast implant controversy and the moratorium on the use of silicone-gel-filled breast implants in the U.S., Canada, and France has led to a search for substitutes for silicone-gel implants that are safe, pliable, and still firm enough to hold its shape. Hydrogel is being evaluated as an alternative to silicone gel for filling breast implants.

Materials and Methods:

Eighteen hundred ninety hydrogel-filled breast implants were inserted into patients in France and Italy between 1992 and 1993. The postoperative results of these procedures were reviewed.

Results:

Twelve implant ruptures occurred at the time of insertion secondary to too small an incision and lack of prewarming of the implant. Two ruptures went unnoticed and were satisfactorily resolved with a revision of the first procedure. One capsule contracture occurred within one year. Visual results according to patients and surgeons were satisfactory. The palpable results are less favorable than silicone-gel implants, but better than saline-filled implants.

Discussion:

Hydrogel is biocompatible. The breakdown products of the implant filler, if they migrate outside the shell, should not be toxic. Because hydrogel is a biomaterial filler to which water is added to reach an equilibrium point, it mimics the consistency of living tissue.

Conclusions:

Hydrogel appears to be a favorable substitute for silicone gel.
Deep Cervical Fascia Plication in the Difficult Neck Rhytidectomy
Authors: Viera Hector M.
Published: July 2017

Introduction:

The purpose of the present article is to compare the long- and short-term results of two rhytidectomy techniques: the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) plication and the plication of the deep cervical fascia (DCF).

Materials and Methods:

The areas of incision are injected with lidocaine 1% and epinephrine 1:200000. Klein's tumescent solution is then injected in the areas of skin dissection and liposuction. Submental and face liposuction are performed. Skin dissection is carried wide laterally to the anterior border of the SCM muscle, and, inferiorly, it extends near the sternal border if necessary. A 2–3-cm incision is made in the submental crease. Plication extends to the superior border of the thyroid cartilage. The malar fat pad is dissected and imbricated as described by Owsley. The SMAS is then dissected and imbricated extensively.

Results:

Plication of the DCF produces better long-term results than does SMAS plication and will benefit patients with severe sagging necks and sagging or bifid platysmata.

Conclusions:

Deep and wide plication of the platysma includes the DCF. The tenacious layer of fascia provides an anchorage which will maintain a tight neck over 8 years according to the author's experience.
Characterization of Sepsis and Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy
Authors: Feng Qing , Ai Yu-Hang , Gong Hua , Wu Long , Ai Mei-Lin , Deng Song-Yun , Huang Li , Peng Qian-Yi , Zhang Li-Na
Published: July 2017

Background:

Sepsis and sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) are common intensive care unit (ICU) diseases; the morbidity and mortality are high. The present study analyzed the sensitivity of different diagnostic criteria of sepsis 1.0 and 3.0, epidemiological characteristics of sepsis and SAE, and explored its risk factors for death, short-term, and long-term prognosis.

Methods:

The retrospective study included patients in ICU from January 2015 to June 2016. After excluding 58 patients, 175 were assigned to either an SAE or a non-SAE group (patients with sepsis but no encephalopathy). The sensitivity of the diagnostic criteria was compared between sepsis 1.0 and 3.0, respectively. Between-group differences in baseline data, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (APACHE II score), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (SOFA score), etiological data, biochemical indicators, and 28-day and 180-day mortality rates were analyzed. Survival outcomes and long-term prognosis were observed, and risk factors for death were analyzed through 180-day follow-up.

Results:

The sensitivity did not differ significantly between the diagnostic criteria of sepsis 1.0 and 3.0 ( P = .286). The 42.3% incidence of SAE presented a significantly high APACHE II and SOFA scores as well as 28-day mortality and 180-day mortality (all P < .001). The incidence of death was 37.1%. The multivariate stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that the risk of death in SAE group was significantly higher than the non-SAE group ( P < .001). Sepsis-associated encephalopathy is a risk factor for sepsis-related death (relative risk [RR] = 2.868; 95% confidence interval: 1.730-4.754; P < .001). Although males showed a significantly high rate of 28-day and 180-day mortality ( P = .035 and .045), it was not an independent risk factor for sepsis-related death ( P = .072). The long-term prognosis of patients with sepsis was poor with decreased quality of life. No significant difference was observed in prognosis between the SAE and non-SAE groups ( P > .05).

Conclusion:

Both diagnostic criteria cause misdiagnosis, and the sensitivity did not differ significantly. The incidence of SAE was high, and 28-day and 180-day mortality rates were significantly higher than those without SAE. Sepsis-associated encephalopathy is a risk factor for poor outcome. The overall long-term prognosis of patients with sepsis was poor, and the quality of life decreased.
Animal Maltreatment as a Risk Marker of More Frequent and Severe Forms of Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Barrett Betty Jo , Fitzgerald Amy , Stevenson Rochelle , Cheung Chi Ho
Published: July 2017

Although there is a growing body of literature documenting the co-occurrence of animal abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV), only a few studies have examined the relationship between animal maltreatment, types of IPV, and abuse severity. The results of those studies have been inconclusive and in some cases even contradictory. The current study contributes new findings to that specific segment of the literature and sheds some light on the inconsistent findings in previous studies. Data were gathered from 86 abused women receiving services from domestic violence shelters across Canada via a structured survey about pet abuse and the level and types of IPV perpetrated by abusive partners. Type and severity of IPV was measured using subscales of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) and the Checklist of Controlling Behaviors (CCB). Animal maltreatment was measured using the Partner’s Treatment of Animals Scale (PTAS). Participants were divided into three groups: women who did not have pets during their abusive relationship ( n = 31), women who had pets and reported little or no animal maltreatment ( n = 21), and women who had pets and reported frequent or severe animal maltreatment ( n = 34). Examining within-group variations in experiences of IPV and pet abuse using a series of one-way between-groups ANOVA tests, this study provides evidence to support the conclusion that women who report that their partner mistreated their pets are themselves at significantly greater risk of more frequent and severe forms of IPV, most specifically psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. The findings point to the urgency of better understanding and mitigating the unique barriers to leaving an abusive relationship faced by women with companion animals.
Emerging Issues With Consequential Use of the edTPA: Overall and Through a Special Education Lens
Authors: Bergstrand Othman Lama , Robinson Rowand , Molfenter Nancy F.
Published: July 2017

The purpose of teacher preparation programs is to ensure that teachers are adequately equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to support the various educational needs of their students. Nevertheless, a call for a uniform process through which teacher candidates can demonstrate their ability to meet their students’ educational needs using authentic learning environments has been called for. To that end, the American Association of College for Teachers Education (AACTE) partnered with the Stanford Center for Assessment to create a form of assessment that encompasses the three levels of teaching: planning, instruction, and assessment. This multileveled evaluation process is known as the Teacher Performance Assessment or the edTPA. The purpose of this article is to discuss some challenges that have arisen in connection with the implementation of the edTPA. The authors discuss issues such as time commitment, variability of school environments, inconsistent national implementations, and issues specific to special education.
Accelerometer-Determined Physical Activity and All-Cause Mortality in a National Prospective Cohort Study of Adults Post-Acute Stroke
Authors: Loprinzi Paul D. , Addoh Ovuokerie
Published: July 2017

Purpose:

No epidemiological study has examined the association of objectively measured physical activity with all-cause mortality among adults who have had a stroke, which was the purpose of this study.

Design:

Prospective.

Setting:

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003 to 2006.

Participants:

One hundred eighty-four patients with stroke.

Measures:

Physical activity assessed via accelerometry (ActiGraph 7164), with stroke assessed via self-report of physician diagnosis. Mortality was assessed via linkage with the National Death Index, with follow-up through 2011.

Analysis:

Cox proportional hazard model.

Results:

The median follow-up period was 71.96 months, with 13 241 person-months; 53 deaths occurred during this follow-up period. After adjustments, for every 60 min/d increase in total physical activity, adults who have had a stroke had a 28% (hazard ratio = 0.72; 95% confidence interval: 0.59-0.88) reduced risk of all-cause mortality.

Conclusion:

Physical activity among stroke survivors is inversely associated with all-cause mortality.
Making A Career: Reproducing Gender within a Predominately Female Profession
Authors: Trotter Latonya J.
Published: July 2017

In this study, I apply the perspective of gendered organizations to nursing and use ethnographically informed career biographies of nurse practitioners, a subset of highly credentialed nurses, to investigate the reproduction of gender by inclusionary institutional practices. My findings illustrate how nursing’s historically subordinate position as a female profession has led to institutional arrangements and aspirational resources for contemporary careers. Features such as flexible educational institutions and an extended credentials ladder allow women to recast structural constraints into individual possibilities. This recasting allows individuals to make careers but also recirculates notions of “flexible women” whose careers are institutionalized as secondary to family concerns.
Punctuating Accountability: How Discursive Aggression Regulates Transgender People
Authors: shuster stef m.
Published: July 2017

Using in-depth interviews with forty transgender people, I explore “discursive aggression,” a term for the communicative acts used in social interaction to hold people accountable to social- and cultural-based expectations, and subsequently to reinforce inequality in everyday life. I show how these interactional affronts restore social order, are based in dominant language systems, and reflect expectations for how interactions should unfold. Gendered expectations—such as the assumption that gender is identifiable based on visual cues alone—come to life through language, are delivered through discursive aggression, and become routinized micro-inequalities that people negotiate in interaction. I present five vignettes to exemplify how discursive aggression typically unfolds in interaction. In so doing, this research demonstrates the value of discursive aggression as a concept to capture a pervasive, yet under-examined, feature of everyday life and a mechanism for how power is reified in interaction.
Coumarin-based random copolymer
Authors: Akman Feride
Published: July 2017

In this article, coumarin-based random copolymer which can be utilized for atom transfer radical polymerization was investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The thermal degradation mechanism and the activation energies ( Ea) were obtained by means of the Coats–Redfern (CR), Tang, and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) methods. The thermal degradation reaction mechanism for random copolymer obeyed the phase boundary model (contracting volume, R3) of solid-state mechanism. The thermodynamic properties in the range from 100 K to 500 K have been obtained. The calculated HOMO–LUMO energy gap and electronic properties, such as chemical hardness ( η), electron affinity ( A), chemical potential ( μ0), global softness ( ζ), electronegativity ( χ), global electrophilicity ( ω), and dipole moment ( μ), were investigated and discussed. The molecular electrostatic potential analysis of the random copolymer was also computed.
Political Fiction
Authors: McLaughlin Bryan , Thompson Bailey A. , Krause Amber
Published: July 2017

This study draws attention to a largely overlooked, but crucial, facet of modern politics—the political e-mail. A mixed-method analysis of 1 year’s worth of political e-mails was used to compare and contrast how the Democratic and Republican parties employed e-mails during the 2014 election. Results reveal both parties placed a clear emphasis on fundraising and voter mobilization but also utilized distinct appeals, calls to action, and political narratives. Republican e-mails employed more interactive features and offered rewards that reinforced political hierarchies. The Republican narrative portrayed the ideal America as a relic of the past that must be reclaimed. Republicans asked readers to donate money in order to empower Republican leaders to win the war against President Obama—characterized as an unconstitutional and deceitful imperialist. Democrats were more aggressive in their request for donations, employed more personalized appeals and rewards, and asked readers to get involved with grassroots organizing. The Democratic narrative portrayed the ideal America as an inclusive, utopian society that exists in the future. Democrats encouraged readers to view themselves as central characters in the narrative, where their actions can and will have direct consequences for America’s future.
Quasi-Markets, Competition, and School Choice Lotteries
Authors: Chew Adrian W.
Published: July 2017

This article problematizes the lottery as a taken-for-granted concept, which is normatively understood as a neutral process rewarding its participant based on luck. The article adopts a policy problematization frame that interrogates the limits of normative concepts. To problematize the lottery system, this article engages with the two movies on school choice, The Lottery and Waiting for “Superman”, as “instances” through the conceptual lens of a quasi-market. The main argument is that the lottery is a particular discursive practice co-constituting the competitive frame of education quasi-markets. In identifying how the spirit of competitiveness underlies a competition, and by extension the lottery system, the article posits that in a competitive setting, competitors are primarily concerned with maximizing inequality among each other.
The Effects of the Relaxation Response on Nurses’ Level of Anxiety, Depression, Well-Being, Work-Related Stress, and Confidence to Teach Patients
Authors: Calder Calisi Catherine
Published: July 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this pilot study was threefold: to teach nurses the Relaxation Response ( RR), a relaxation technique created by Benson; to measure the effects of the RR on nurses’ levels of anxiety, depression, well-being, and work-related stress; and to explore nurses’ confidence in teaching their patients the RR.Design: A wait-list, randomized-control quantitative study design was used. Method: Nurses in the intervention group were trained on the benefits and the technique of the RR and were then asked to practice the RR over an 8-week period. Findings: No statistical significance was found in nurses’ reported level of anxiety, depression, well-being, and work-related stress. However, the nurses reported greater confidence in teaching this technique to patients ( p < .001). Conclusion: As a strategy for self-care in the workplace, nurses were receptive to learning the RR and reported confidence in using this strategy for their patients. Larger studies may reveal more significant reductions in workplace stress and anxiety for nurses.
Determinants and Predictors of Grief Severity and Persistence: The Rotterdam Study
Authors: Milic Jelena , Muka Taulant , Ikram M. Arfan , Franco Oscar H. , Tiemeier Henning
Published: July 2017

Objective: We aimed to explore correlates and predictors of bereavement severity and persistence (triggered by “loss of a loved one”; referent group partner loss) in the Rotterdam cohort. Method: We used linear regression to examine factors associated with grief severity using a cross-sectional analysis and logistic regression to determine prospective associations. Results: Cross-sectionaly, females, child-lost, higher depressive symptoms, lower education, and difficulties in daily activities were independently associated with a higher bereavement severity. Prospectively (6 years; response rate 71%), the baseline value of the grief severity was the single predictor significantly associated with grief persistence. Discussion: Our results suggest that only grief severity is independently associated with grief persistence. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Earthquakes and the typologies of state–society relations in China
Authors: Sun Taiyi
Published: July 2017

The proliferation of civil society organizations after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake and the 2013 Lushan earthquake in China has caught the attention of scholars in Chinese politics and disaster politics. Immediately after the earthquakes and during the recovery period, civil society organizations were given a rare opportunity to work closely and intensely with the state. As a result, these organizations adjusted their behaviour – sometimes compromising with the state on many fronts – in exchange for better relations with the state and in order to achieve their goals, but they had to work in new and creative ways. Drawing on evidence from a dozen case studies and 61 in-depth interviews with government officials and leaders of civil society organizations in Sichuan Province, this article argues that we can map the state’s preferences and policy distinctions through its varied responses to these organizations during an earthquake recovery period. Specifically, whether the state is more effective in delivering public goods and services in a given area and whether the goals of civil society organizations align with those of state are two key determinants of relations between the state and civil society organizations. This article proposes a comprehensive typology of such relations in China: complementary, cooperative, competitive and confrontational. These categories are not static, because the government and civil society organizations adjust their policies and behaviour as they interact. These learning experiences, triggered by the earthquakes, create a dynamic process of evolving state–society relations in China today.
Satan and Sitis: The Significance of Clothing Changes in the Testament of Job
Authors: O'connor M. John-Patrick
Published: July 2017

This article examines the Testament of Job as a literary work within the genre of ancient Jewish novel. It explores the function of clothing changes for the two central characters of Satan and Sitis as providing both entertaining and critical narrative cues for character perception and development. This study is organized into two main sections. The first part examines the figure of Satan and his respective forms and disguises, with appropriate analogues to Apuleius's Metamorphoses. The second part examines Sitis's clothing and its function within the narrative, followed by a brief comparison to Joseph and Aseneth and Chariton's Chaereas and Callirhoe. This article contends that clothing is an important literary motif for the Testament of Job much like the popular ancient stories of Joseph and Aseneth, Chaereas and Callirhoe, and Metamorphoses. The contention is that a character's exterior clothing often indicates his/her inward character, or depicts a character's transformation within the narrative. In this sense, Sitis's clothing signals both her fall and eventual vindication, and Satan's disguises signal his status as the evil trickster. A character's change of clothing, as one would imagine in a performance or play, offers critical narrative cues to the reader.
A novel method for predicting degrees of crystallinity in injection molding during packing stage
Authors: Zhao Peng , Yang Weimin , Wang Xiaoman , Li Jiangang , Yan Bo , Fu Jianzhong
Published: July 2017

Being able to predict products’ degrees of crystallinity and thereby optimize their crystallization processes is of great significance for producing high-quality polymeric products in injection molding. However, it is rather difficult to theoretically establish the relationship between the crystallization results and processing conditions (high cooling rates and pressures, strong and complex flow fields). Injection molding simulation software can simulate polymers’ density results during packing stage, and these predicted density results can be used to calculate polymers’ crystallinity results. Based on this idea, a novel method was proposed to predict the degrees of crystallinity for polymers during packing stage. In this method, pressure and temperature results are first simulated by an injection molding simulation software, and then the density results are calculated based on a pressure–volume–temperature model. Next, the crystallinity results are solved according to the densities of the fully crystalline part and the purely amorphous part. Finally, two case studies are conducted to verify the proposed crystallinity prediction method. Moreover, the effects of packing parameters (mold temperature, packing pressure, and packing time) on polymers’ crystallization behaviors are investigated. The experimental results show that the proposed method is correct and effective.
Data acquisition and data mining in the manufacturing process of computer numerical control machine tools
Authors: Wang Wei , Li Hai , Huang Pu , Zhang Xinyu
Published: July 2017

Networks of five-axis machine tools produce huge amounts of process data. These data directly reflect the running condition of the machine tool but are seldom used to examine the machine performance. This study proposes a new data acquisition method based on the Object linking and embedding for Process Control protocol without any additional monitoring equipment. The data collection principle is explained, and a client is developed based on the SIEMENS 840D system. Considering less influence on the manufacturing process, a communication architecture for the machine network is designed with a special computer transmitting the data to the server. A compression algorithm is applied to reduce the storage capacity of massive amounts of data. Finally, a method for predicting the future performance of the machine tool is proposed using similarity analysis of the time series. A Petri net model is also established to diagnose possible failure causes. These methods significantly improve the machine tool reliability and find potentially important information from the data in the manufacturing process.
Dynamic modeling and analysis of the instrument arm based on the physical properties of soft tissues
Authors: Yang Jing , Yu Lingtao , Wang Lan , Wang Zhengyu , Wang Wenjie
Published: July 2017

Surgical robot is a hotspot problem of the current research. This paper presents the dynamical analysis of an instrument arm for minimally invasive surgical robot. Firstly, the study presents a general dynamics modeling method, by which a dynamical model of the instrument arm is established and verified by simulation, then a general force of the trocar point is considered and related analysis is performed. Considering the diversity of the reaction force, one-dimensional force is added separately at the operating point and some simulations are performed based on the dynamic model. Secondly, mechanical characterization of soft tissues is researched based on the indentation experiments, where the constitutive models for compression and relaxation are derived and added to the dynamical model to establish a complete dynamic model with the property of soft tissues. Lastly, the trocar force is analyzed in detail where the instrument arm is found to be sensitive to the tiny force based on the simulation results, and then a force sensing strategy of contact force on soft tissues is presented. Comprehensively, dynamical analysis for the instrument arm will provide an important basis for its control.
Computational fluid dynamics analysis on orifice structure inside valve core of pilot-control angle globe valve
Authors: Jin Zhi-Jiang , Gao Zhi-Xin , Zhang Ming , Liu Bu-Zhan , Qian Jin-Yuan
Published: July 2017

A novel pilot-control angle globe valve is proposed, and it has an obvious advantage of energy conservation during its opening and closing process. In pilot-control angle globe valve, the opening and closing forces are related to the orifice located inside the valve core. In this paper, the effects of orifice diameter are thoroughly studied under different working conditions such as valve core displacements and inlet velocities. To begin with, the numerical model is validated by comparing similar angle valves, and then the flow and loss coefficients under different orifice diameters are discussed. It is found that the effects of orifice diameter on force acting on valve core depend on valve core displacement and inlet velocity. Thus different valve core displacements and inlet velocities combined with different orifice diameters are further studied. It is also found that when the orifice diameter is larger than 12 mm, pilot-control angle globe valve cannot be used under small inlet velocity or large valve core displacement. In addition, formulas to calculate forces on valve core are proposed for further orifice design. This work can be referred in process industries especially in a piping system with orifice plates or globe valves.
Development of an inverse simulation method for the analysis of train performance
Authors: Murray-Smith DJ
Published: July 2017

Conventional methods of computer-based simulation allow prediction of output variables, often as a function of time, for a given model of a physical system for a given set of initial conditions and input variables. In the case of train performance simulation models, the possible output variables include train speed or distance travelled, both expressed as functions of time. The corresponding input variables, also expressed as functions of time, are the tractive force or power levels for given train characteristics and route information such as gradients, track curvature and speed restrictions. Inverse simulation methods, on the other hand, allow selected model variables (such as the tractive force at any time instant) to be found from other specified model variables applied as input (such as the train speed or distance travelled versus time) for a given set of route conditions and train characteristics. The specific inverse simulation method presented in the paper is based on feedback principles. Illustrative results are used to verify this inverse simulation approach for train performance applications, and further cases are used to show that the inverse formulation provides an insight that is different from that obtained using more conventional forward simulation techniques.
Biomechanical analysis of the thoracolumbar spine under physiological loadings: Experimental motion data corridors for validation of finite element models
Authors: Couvertier Marien , Germaneau Arnaud , Saget Mathieu , Dupré Jean-Christophe , Doumalin Pascal , Brémand Fabrice , Hesser Franck , Brèque Cyril , Roulaud Manuel , Monlezun Olivier , Vendeuvre Tanguy , Rigoard Philippe
Published: July 2017

Biomechanical studies that involve normal, injured or stabilized human spines are sometimes difficult to perform on large samples due to limited access to cadaveric human spines and biological variability. Finite element models alleviate these limitations due to the possibility of reusing the same model, whereas cadaveric spines can be damaged during testing, or have their mechanicals behaviour modified by fatigue, permanent deformation or structural failure. Finite element models need to be validated with experimental data to make sure that they represent the complex mechanical and physiological behaviour of normal, injured and stabilized spinal segments. The purpose of this study is to characterize the mechanical response of thoracolumbar spine segments with an analytical approach drawn from experimental measurements. A total of 24 normal and fresh cadaveric thoracolumbar spine segments (T11–L3), aged between 53 and 91 years, were tested in pure flexion/extension, lateral bending and axial torsion using a specific experimental setup. Measurements of global and intervertebral angle variations were performed using three-dimensional mark tracking methods. Load/angle curves for each loading were fitted by a logarithmic approach with two coefficients. The coefficients for the functions describing the response of the spinal segments are given and constitute predictive models from experimental data. This work provides data corridors of human thoracolumbar spine motion segments subjected to pure bending in the three physiological planes. These data could be very useful to validate finite element models of the human spine.
Viscoelastic properties of mitral valve leaflets: An analysis of regional variation and frequency-dependency
Authors: Baxter Jonathan , Buchan Keith G , Espino Daniel M
Published: July 2017

The aim of this study was to determine the regional variation in viscoelastic properties of mitral valve leaflets over a range of physiological and patho-physiological frequencies. This included comparisons to be made between anterior and posterior leaflets, anterior leaflet clear and rough zones, and radial and circumferential leaflet orientation. Dynamic mechanical analysis was used to determine frequency-dependent viscoelastic properties. The valve leaflets were dissected from eight porcine hearts. The leaflets were loaded under a sinusoidal tensile displacement, with a mean dynamic peak to trough strain of 11%, applied to all leaflet samples at nine different frequencies, ranging from 0.5 to 10 Hz. The anterior leaflet has higher storage and loss stiffness than the posterior leaflet. The storage stiffness of circumferential tissue is greater than that of radially oriented valve tissue (2.0 ± 1.6 N/mm cf. 1.7 ± 0.9 N/mm; p < 0.05); however, the loss stiffness is greater for radial tissue (0.15 ± 0.07 cf. 0.14 ± 0.09 N/mm; p < 0.05). Likewise, the storage stiffness of the anterior leaflet clear zone is greater than that of the rough zone (2.4 ± 1.6 cf. 2.1 ± 1.2; p < 0.05), but the loss stiffness is greater for the rough zone (0.17 ± 0.09 N/mm cf. 0.14 ± 0.08 N/mm; p < 0.05). In conclusion, the viscoelastic properties of porcine mitral valve leaflets have regional variations, with dynamic stiffness being dependent on circumferential or radial orientation and on location at a clear or rough zones.
Viral marketing effect on digital knowledge acquisition
Authors: Fouad Nehal
Published: July 2017

This study focuses on the growing role of viral marketing in the dissemination and circulation of knowledge via WhatsApp. This application is a favorable viral marketing environment as it allows rapid dissemination of knowledge through the sharing of texts, images, audio, and video files. Many individuals spontaneously practice viral marketing by resending messages they have received to others, thereby delivering content to a large segment of society. This study aims to ascertain the degree of influence of viral marketing of knowledge on the cognitive awareness of WhatsApp users, the degree of influence of this application on knowledge sharing, and finally the knowledge areas that mostly affect awareness of Egyptian society via viral marketing.
To engage or not to engage Haiti’s urban armed groups? Safe access in disaster-stricken and conflict-affected cities
Authors: Schuberth Moritz
Published: July 2017

International agencies responding to humanitarian crises in cities are increasingly faced with urban armed groups controlling neighbourhoods where the most vulnerable sections of society are located. In such settings, it is not clear how to deliver aid to those who need it the most without further strengthening predatory armed actors. Drawing on extensive fieldwork in Haiti, this article contributes to the emerging debate on the engagement of non-state armed groups in the context of disaster-stricken and conflict-affected cities, by presenting new empirical evidence on how humanitarian and development actors negotiate safe access in Port-au-Prince’s gang-ruled neighbourhoods in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. While some major development agencies have struggled to minimize the unintended – yet potentially harmful – consequences of their activities for beneficiaries, the approach of the Brazilian NGO Viva Rio offers important lessons for more effective humanitarian response to urban crises in comparable contexts.
The association between ABO blood types and venous thromboembolism in individuals with a positive antiphospholipid profile is varied by sex
Authors: Shusterman M , Golub E , Mowrey W B , Broder A
Published: July 2017

Objectives

Although non-O blood type is an established risk factor for venous thromboembolism in the general population, the impact of ABO blood type (ABO) on venous thromboembolism risk in individuals with persistent antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) has not been studied. We sought to investigate the relationship between ABO and venous thromboembolism in aPL-positive individuals. We also sought to explore potential interactions between ABO and sex or race to determine whether ABO contributes to race or sex differences with respect to the development of venous thromboembolism.

Methods

We identified all patients over 18 years old followed at a tertiary medical center between January 2000 and January 2015 with serological aPL criteria and ABO data. Episodes of venous thromboembolism were recorded. Logistic regression models were fitted to estimate odds ratios (ORs) of venous thromboembolism for non-O (A, B, or AB blood types) versus O blood type.

Results

There were 226 patients included in the final analysis, of whom 75 (33%) had reported venous thromboembolism. In the overall sample, there was a non-significant difference between venous thromboembolism in patients with non-O blood type compared to O blood type (OR 1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94, 2.88; P = 0.08). Men with non-O blood type had a significantly higher risk of venous thromboembolism as compared to men with O-type blood (OR 4.94, 95% CI 1.37, 17.85; P = 0.02), but there was no significant association between ABO and venous thromboembolism among women (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.50, 1.83; P = 0.52).

Conclusions

Non-O blood type may be an under-recognized risk factor for venous thromboembolism among men with persistent aPL antibodies, whereas the risk associated with non-O blood type seen in the general population may be attenuated in aPL-positive women.
A model averaging approach for estimating propensity scores by optimizing balance
Authors: Xie Yuying , Zhu Yeying , Cotton Cecilia A , Wu Pan
Published: July 2017

Many approaches, including traditional parametric modeling and machine learning techniques, have been proposed to estimate propensity scores. This paper describes a new model averaging approach to propensity score estimation in which parametric and nonparametric estimates are combined to achieve covariate balance. Simulation studies are conducted across different scenarios varying in the degree of interactions and nonlinearities in the treatment model. The results show that, based on inverse probability weighting, the proposed propensity score estimator produces less bias and smaller standard errors than existing approaches. They also show that a model averaging approach with the objective of minimizing the average Kolmogorov–Smirnov statistic leads to the best performing IPW estimator. The proposed approach is also applied to a real data set in evaluating the causal effect of formula or mixed feeding versus exclusive breastfeeding on a child’s body mass index Z-score at age 4. The data analysis shows that formula or mixed feeding is more likely to lead to obesity at age 4, compared to exclusive breastfeeding.
Two-way partial AUC and its properties
Authors: Yang Hanfang , Lu Kun , Lyu Xiang , Hu Feifang
Published: July 2017

Simultaneous control on true positive rate and false positive rate is of significant importance in the performance evaluation of diagnostic tests. Most of the established literature utilizes partial area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve with restrictions only on false positive rate (FPR), called FPR pAUC, as a performance measure. However, its indirect control on true positive rate (TPR) is conceptually and practically misleading. In this paper, a novel and intuitive performance measure, named as two-way pAUC, is proposed, which directly quantifies partial area under ROC curve with explicit restrictions on both TPR and FPR. To estimate two-way pAUC, we devise a nonparametric estimator. Based on the estimator, a bootstrap-assisted testing method for two-way pAUC comparison is established. Moreover, to evaluate possible covariate effects on two-way pAUC, a regression analysis framework is constructed. Asymptotic normalities of the methods are provided. Advantages of the proposed methods are illustrated by simulation and Wisconsin Breast Cancer Data. We encode the methods as a publicly available R package tpAUC.
A Total War of the Mind: The French Theory of la guerre révolutionnaire, 1954–1958
Authors: Finch Michael P.M.
Published: July 2017

French theorists of guerre révolutionnaire conceptualized contemporary conflict in the 1950s as a particular form of total war. Located in the idea of global subversive war which provided intellectual rationalization for the army’s experiences in colonial wars after 1945, the theorists argued that the collapse in the distinction between war and peace rendered war permanent and constant, so that France’s colonial wars were a symptom of a broader conflict necessitating the ideological mobilization of the French people. This article contends that much of the inspiration for these ideas can be found in intellectual developments preceding the Second World War.
Alex3 suppresses non–small cell lung cancer invasion via AKT/Slug/E-cadherin pathway
Authors: Du Jiang , Zhang Xiupeng , Zhou Haijing , Miao Yuan , Han Yong , Han Qiang , Wang Enhua
Published: July 2017

Alex3, is a newly identified mitochondrial protein, regulates mitochondrial dynamics and is involved in neural development. However, its expression pattern and clinicopathological relevance in human tumors are still unclear. In this study, Immunohistochemistry assay was performed in 109 cases of lung cancer samples and found that Alex 3 expression in lung cancer tissues was significantly lower than adjacent normal lung tissues (28.4% vs 52.6%, p < 0.001). Sequent statistical analysis indicated that negative Alex3 expression was significantly associated with advanced tumor–node–metastasis stages (p = 0.001), positive lymph node metastasis (p = 0.005), and poor prognosis (p = 0.008). After overexpression of Alex3, levels of p-AKT and Slug were downregulated, while level of E-cadherin was upregulated, which results in the inhibition of invasion and migration ability of lung cancer cells. In conclusion, reduction of Alex3 correlates with the development of non–small cell lung cancer and predicts adverse clinical outcome of non–small cell lung cancer patients. The effect of Alex3 on inhibiting invasion and migration may attribute to upregulation of E-cadherin expression through AKT–Slug pathway inactivation.