bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stars Are Yellow, Hearts Are Red, and the Tree Would Be Green . . . Photovoice
Authors: Hegarty Ann
Published: August 2016

This article critically explores the power of photographic images and photovoice research methodology to support the emergence of narratives of care among 20 Irish fathers. In the context of economic recession, the breadwinner role for these men was exchanged with one of stay-at-home dad. Their daily care of children included language and literacy development, a role traditionally construed as feminine. Reflections on the methodological approach used to discuss men’s role in family literacy suggest that photovoice contributed to the disruption of patriarchal norms. It supported men to talk fluently and empathetically to one another about masculinity, care, and fatherhood, thus freeing men to engage in counter-hegemonic narratives of masculinity.
SCCT and Underrepresented Populations in STEM Fields
Authors: Fouad Nadya A. , Santana Mercedes C.
Published: August 2016

The authors review research that has used social cognitive career theory as a frame to investigate factors that may explain science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) choices and work decisions for women and racial–ethnic minorities, as well as barriers to their entry to STEM careers. The research is reviewed by age-groups. Most of this research has focused on factors associated with early choices (e.g., in high school and younger), but more recent work has focused on choices in college and in the workplace, particularly for women. The authors conclude with a critique and call for more research.
Risk Factors of Physical and Sexual Abuse for Women in Mali: Findings From a Nationally Representative Sample
Authors: Hayes Brittany E. , van Baak Carlijn
Published: August 2016

Mali is a developing country that has marked inequalities between genders. Using the 2012-2013 Mali Demographic and Health Survey, a nationally representative sample of Malian women ( N = 2,527), the study examined the effect of controlling behaviors, childhood exposure to and experience of violence, husband’s alcohol use, woman’s use of violence, and sociocultural factors on the likelihood of experiencing physical and sexual abuse. Findings indicated that controlling behavior, childhood exposure to violence, and husband’s use of alcohol were predictors of physical and sexual abuse. Respondent’s use of violence increased risk of physical abuse. Implications for programming in Mali are discussed.
Immediate ICU Care for Patients Following Aortic Arch Surgery
Authors: Hlaing Maung
Published: August 2016

Patients undergoing aortic arch surgery are at high risk for stroke, delirium, low cardiac output, respiratory failure, renal failure, and coagulopathy. A significantly higher mortality is seen in patients experiencing any of these complications when compared with those without complications. As surgical, perfusion, and anesthetic techniques improve, the incidence of major complications have decreased. A recent paradigm shift in cardiac surgery has focused on rapid postoperative recovery, and a similar change has affected the care of patients after arch surgery. Nevertheless, a small subset of patients experience significant morbidity and mortality after aortic arch surgery, and rapid identification of any organ dysfunction and appropriate supportive care is critical in these patients. In this article, the current state of postoperative care of the patient after open aortic arch surgery will be reviewed.
Does Perception of Gas Tax Paid Influence Support for Funding Highway Improvements?
Authors: Fisher Ronald C. , Wassmer Robert W.
Published: August 2016

The issue for this research is whether perception of the rate and amount of fuel taxes paid by an individual influences his or her support for funding highway improvements from any source of revenue. A survey of likely California and Michigan voters demonstrates that they often overestimate the rate of their state’s gasoline excise tax and the subsequent amount they are likely to pay for this tax in a month. Regression analyses show that voter misperceptions concerning the magnitude of state fuel taxes affect their views regarding an increase in funding to support highway investment proposals. A reasonable policy implication is that the adoption of proposals to generate additional funds for highway investment is more likely if accompanied by a campaign identifying the existing rate of the state’s gasoline excise tax and the relatively small amount of this tax paid by the state’s typical driver.
Fiscal Autonomy and EU Structural Funds
Authors: Del Bo Chiara F.
Published: August 2016

In light of the principle of additionality, the inflow of European Union (EU) funds should complement domestic public funds, which are required to cofinance the investment. EU funds should either be unrelated to fiscal decisions of recipient regions, and as such should not affect taxation choices, or they could imply an increase in taxation to finance the additional domestic funds required by the additionality principle. Empirical results linking fiscal autonomy of Italian regions, considered by looking at the number and the level of average tax rates for the regional surcharge on the personal income tax and committed EU funds, suggest the existence of a significant relationship, even after controlling for relevant economic and political factors. The level of average tax rates is lower the more EU funds are received, as is the complexity of the system, measured by the number of income tax brackets.
Review and Recommendations for Integrating Mediation and Moderation
Authors: Holland Samantha J. , Shore Daniel B. , Cortina Jose M.
Published: August 2016

Usage of models integrating mediation and moderation is on the rise in the organizational sciences. While moderation and mediation are fairly well understood by themselves, additional complexities emerge when combining them. Some guidance exists regarding the empirical testing of such models, but this guidance is widely misunderstood. Furthermore, very little guidance exists regarding the theoretical justification of such models. This article offers a checklist of recommendations for the presentation, justification, and testing of models integrating mediation and moderation and compares these to what is actually being done via a review of empirical papers in top-tier journals.
Impact of a store-and-forward teledermatology intervention versus usual care on delay before beginning treatment: A pragmatic cluster-randomized trial in ambulatory care
Authors: Piette Edouard , Nougairède Michel , Vuong Valerie , Crickx Beatrice , Tran Viet-Thi
Published: August 2016

Introduction

In France, 66% of patients forego getting specialized care by dermatologists because of difficulty obtaining appointments. Store-and-forward teledermatology could improve how promptly treatment begins by reducing the delay in obtaining a specialist’s opinion. In this study, we compared the delay before care between general practitioners (GPs) using a store-and-forward teledermatology intervention and GPs addressing their patients with a standard referral letter.

Methods

We performed an open-label, pragmatic cluster-randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms. GP clinics in Paris (France) were randomly assigned to use either teledermatology referral (use of electronics to send clinical images taken using a mobile phone) or conventional referral (using standard letters) to care for patients for whom a dermatologist’s advice was needed for the diagnosis or treatment of skin lesions. Dermatologists integrated responses to teledermatology requests in their usual schedule. Patients were followed up for three months. Primary outcome was the delay, in days, between the GP’s consultation and a reply by the specialist allowing treatment to begin. Analyses were adjusted for clustering of GPs and identities of dermatologists.

Results

Between February and June 2014, 103 patients were included in the study (53 patients of 20 GPs in the intervention group). The median delay between the initial GP’s consultation and the reply allowing for treatment to begin was four days in the intervention group and 40 days in the control group (adjusted hazard ratio = 2.55; p < 0.011).

Discussion

We showed that a simple store-and-forward teledermatology intervention significantly reduced the delay before beginning care (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02122432).
Experimental performance of buckling-restrained braces with steel cores of H-section and half-wavelength evaluation of higher-order local buckling
Authors: Li Wei , Wu Bin , Ding Yong , Zhao Junxian
Published: August 2016

To prevent lower-order local buckling of H-section steel core, an improved type of buckling-restrained braces named buckling-restrained brace with H-section steel core was proposed by the authors. This article further investigates the effect of configuration details on seismic performance of buckling-restrained braces with H-section steel core and compares two half-wavelength calculation methods for higher-order local buckling of H-section steel core. First, quasi-static cyclic tests are described on two newly designed buckling-restrained braces with H-section steel cores and another buckling-restrained brace with flat steel core. Then, Bleich’s and Lundquist’s methods are reviewed for evaluating half wavelength of higher-order local buckling based on elastoplastic buckling theory of plates and compared with the test results of four buckling-restrained braces with H-section steel core including the two from a previous test. It is found from the test results that due to H-section steel core’s higher self-stability, the compression force fluctuation was not observed on the hysteretic loops of buckling-restrained brace with H-section steel core with even larger clearance but on the buckling-restrained brace with flat core. The buckling-restrained brace with H-section steel core was also advantageous over the buckling-restrained brace with flat core in terms of having lower compression strength adjustment factor β. A stopper in the middle of the core member and the gradual change of cross section of the core plate around the end of stiffeners could help to improve the fatigue performance of buckling-restrained braces. The test results also confirmed that Lundquist’s theory was more reliable for evaluating the half wavelength of higher-order local buckling for H-section steel core.
Health, comfort and performance of children in classrooms – New directions for research
Authors: Bluyssen Philomena M.
Published: August 2016

Children spend more time in schools than in any other place except at home. Children are more susceptible than adults to effects of toxic exposure, but also to poor acoustic conditions. It is known for some time that unsatisfactory environmental conditions, can have both short-term and long-term health effects, and can affect productivity or learning ability of the children. The underlying literature study focusses on the role of the indoor school environment on the health, comfort and performance of children in classrooms. In the last decades, many studies all over the world have been performed to document the indoor environment in classrooms and to examine relations with diseases and disorders. An inventory is made of these studies, major identified issues are discussed and ‘new’ directions of research are proposed. It is concluded that new generation research studies should be focussed on engagement of the children in an active way, preferable in semi-lab environments, and taking account of all aspects and interactions between them.
Detecting hospital-acquired infections: A document classification approach using support vector machines and gradient tree boosting
Authors: Ehrentraut Claudia , Ekholm Markus , Tanushi Hideyuki , Tiedemann Jörg , Dalianis Hercules
Published: August 2016

Hospital-acquired infections pose a significant risk to patient health, while their surveillance is an additional workload for hospital staff. Our overall aim is to build a surveillance system that reliably detects all patient records that potentially include hospital-acquired infections. This is to reduce the burden of having the hospital staff manually check patient records. This study focuses on the application of text classification using support vector machines and gradient tree boosting to the problem. Support vector machines and gradient tree boosting have never been applied to the problem of detecting hospital-acquired infections in Swedish patient records, and according to our experiments, they lead to encouraging results. The best result is yielded by gradient tree boosting, at 93.7 percent recall, 79.7 percent precision and 85.7 percent F1 score when using stemming. We can show that simple preprocessing techniques and parameter tuning can lead to high recall (which we aim for in screening patient records) with appropriate precision for this task.
Effect of technology on aging perception
Authors: Juárez MA Rodrigo , González Víctor M , Favela Jesús
Published: August 2016

Technology can assist older adults to maintain an active lifestyle. To better understand the effect that technology has on aging perception, we conducted two studies. In the first study, through supraliminal priming, we analyzed the effects of aging- and technology-related stimuli on age estimation. In the second study, we conducted a technological intervention with a group of elders who used four interactive devices and analyzed effects on perceived aging. Results showed that technology-related stimuli did not affect estimated age. From the second study, we generated a sociotechnical model that explains the processes connecting technology use with successful aging. We concluded that the use of technology affects aging perception, although it depends on whether the elder people have a proactive attitude toward their aging process a priori.
Epistemic status and the recognizability of social actions
Authors: Lindwall Oskar , Lymer Gustav , Ivarsson Jonas
Published: August 2016

Although the production and recognition of social actions have been central concerns for conversation analysis (CA) from the outset, it has recently been argued that CA is yet to develop a systematic analysis of ‘action formation’. As a partial remedy to this situation, John Heritage introduces ‘epistemic status’, which he claims is an unavoidable component of the production and recognition of social action. His proposal addresses the question how is social action produced and recognized? by reference to another question how is relative knowledge recognized? Despite the importance placed on the latter question, it is not clear how it is to be answered in particular cases. We argue that the introduction of epistemic status builds on a reformulation of the action formation problem that unnecessarily de-emphasizes the importance of the sequential environment. Our re-analyses of key sequences cast doubts on the empirical grounding of the epistemic program, and question whether the fundamental role of epistemic status has been convincingly demonstrated.
Throwing the baby out with the bath water? Commentary on the criticism of the ‘Epistemic Program’
Authors: Steensig Jakob , Heinemann Trine
Published: August 2016

It is timely and important that new developments in conversation analysis (CA) become the subject of principled debate. John Heritage’s recent papers on the role of epistemics constitute one such development, and by re-analysing excerpts from this work, the articles in this Special Issue reveal some significant problems with a programmatic approach to epistemics. This commentary agrees with the critics that there are dangers in an overemphasis on epistemics and in using isolated utterances and proposing abstract scales and terms. But the commentary also warns against totally rejecting epistemics as a domain of inquiry in CA and points to places where the critics exaggerate their criticisms in a way that makes them unnecessarily hostile.
Moral shocks and small wins: Encouraging firms based in liberal societies to behave integratively towards former prisoners
Authors: Burns Prue , Nyland Chris , Cooney Richard , Schapper Jan
Published: August 2016

In this article, we contend that employers’ willingness to provide former prisoners with integrative forms of employment is related to the extent to which liberal societies abstract, idealise and prioritise the interests of the self over the interests of society. Using the United States of America as a critical case to illustrate this argument, we unite the neoinstitutional sociology of organisations with Weick’s small wins approach to problem solving to show how an especially individualistic embodiment of liberalism contributes to the construction of a social and institutional reality that discourages firms from behaving integratively towards former prisoners. In so doing, we produce a conceptual framework that points to ways by which the scarcity of integrative firms within individualist liberal societies might be addressed.
Methodology for the physics-based modelling of multiple rolling element bearing configurations
Authors: Leturiondo Urko , Salgado Oscar , Galar Diego
Published: August 2016

Condition-based maintenance is a maintenance strategy which can be employed for monitoring the condition of rolling element bearings (REBs). For that purpose, the physics-based modelling of these machine elements is an interesting approach. There is a wide range of REBs regarding their internal configuration, dimensions and operating conditions. In this paper, a methodology to create a physics-based mathematical model to reproduce the dynamics of multiple kinds of REB is presented. Following a multi-body modelling, the proposed methodology takes advantage of the reusability of models to cover a wide range of bearing configurations, as well as to generalise the dimensioning of the bearing and the application of the operating conditions. The methodology is proved to be valid by its application to two case studies. Simulations of a deep-groove ball bearing and a cylindrical roller bearing are carried out, analysing their dynamic response as well as analysing the effects of damage in their parts. Results of the two case studies show good agreement with experimental data and results of other models in literature.
Effect of braking operation on wheel–rail dynamic interaction of wagons in sharp curve
Authors: Liu Pengfei , Wang Kaiyun
Published: August 2016

A heavy-haul train–track coupled dynamic model is developed based on the vehicle–track coupled theory. The numerical model is verified in two typical cases. For the calculation, the different lines are considered, which are composed by the plane curve with 400 m radius and the vertical convex (concave) curves with the 8‰ grade difference. Taking the freight wagons in the 10,000 t and 20,000 t trains as the research objects, their curing performances, the corresponding coupler behaviors, and rail displacements in the emergency and full service braking conditions are analyzed and compared. The results indicate that the alignment of horizontal curve section will cause a distinct tilt angle of wagon coupler, and the tilt amplitudes are almost unchanged for different coupler compression forces. It can be attributed to the stronger coupler stabilizing ability of the freight wagon system. However, under the influence of coupler angle, the coupler longitudinal force produces a large lateral component, which significantly deteriorates the curving performances of wagons bearing the maximum coupler compression forces. Generally, when the 10,000 t and 20,000 t trains brake in the sharp curve, the maximum values of wheelset lateral force and rail lateral displacement increase by 33% and 28%, respectively, with respect to the results calculated in the idle condition. For the dynamics evaluation of freight wagons, the train marshalling modes, the idle condition, and braking condition should be considered comprehensively according to the actual situations.
The depletion of ZDDP additives within marine lubricants and associated cylinder liner wear in RNLI lifeboat engines
Authors: Anand M , Hadfield M , Thomas B , Cantrill R
Published: August 2016

Previous work of authors indicated the wear of cylinder liners in marine engines of RNLI lifeboats due to the intense lubricant degradation identified by inductively coupled plasma and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy techniques. In this paper, further analysis carried out to evaluate the effects of lubricant degradation on the actual cylinder liners installed in the Trent Class Lifeboat engines is presented. Surface characterisation of actual cylinder liner’s bore surface showed maximum wear near the top dead centre region compared to rest of the piston stroke. Wear in this region of the cylinder liner surface is controlled primarily by the protective film forming anti-wear additives in the lubricant which limit the direct surface contact between the piston rings and cylinder liner. The condition of zinc dialkyldithiophosphates anti-wear additives was analysed using the nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Tribology analysis was conducted to evaluate the tribological and boundary film forming performance of zinc dialkyldithiophosphates additives by simulating cylinder liner–piston ring contact near the top dead centre. To further understand the wear mechanisms of the cylinder liner, wear debris analysis (Analytical Ferrography) of lubricant samples was performed. Results revealed the depletion of phosphorus containing zinc dialkyldithiophosphates anti-wear additives as a function of the lubricant’s duty cycle within the marine engines and its effect on the tribological and boundary film forming performance of lubricants. Wear debris analysis showed the generation of ferrous debris potentially from the cylinder liners as a result of reduced anti-wear protection from the depleted zinc dialkyldithiophosphates additives during the tribological contact with piston rings and piston skirt region. These findings are useful to understand the lubricant degradation mechanisms which affect the functionality of cylinder liners, therefore allowing to plan the engine maintenance strategies.
Angiotensin type 2 receptor null mice express reduced levels of renal angiotensin converting enzyme-2/angiotensin (1-7)/Mas receptor and exhibit greater high-fat diet-induced kidney injury
Authors: Ali Quaisar , Dhande Isha , Samuel Preethi , Hussain Tahir
Published: August 2016

Introduction:

Renin–angiotensin system (RAS) components exert diverse physiological functions and have been sub-grouped into deleterious angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)/angiotensin II (Ang II)/angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) and protective ACE2/angiotensin (1-7) (Ang-(1-7))/Mas receptor (MasR) axes. We have reported that chronic activation of angiotensin type 2 receptor (AT2R) alters RAS components and provides protection against obesity-related kidney injury.

Materials and methods:

We utilized AT2R knockout (AT2KO) mice in this study and evaluated the renal expression of various RAS components and examined the renal injury after placing these mice on high fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks.

Results:

The cortical ACE2 activity and MasR expression were significantly decreased in AT2KO mice compared to wild type (WT) mice. LC/MS analysis revealed an increase in renal Ang II levels and a decrease in Ang-(1-7) levels in AT2KO mice. Cortical expression of ACE and AT1R was increased but renin activity remained unchanged in AT2KO compared with WT mice. WT mice fed HFD exhibited increased systolic blood pressure, higher indices of kidney injury, mesangial matrix expansion score, and microalbuminuria, which were further increased in AT2KO mice.

Conclusion:

This study suggests that deletion of AT2R decreases the expression of the beneficial ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/MasR and increases the deleterious ACE/Ang II/AT1R axis of the renal RAS in mice. Further, AT2KO mice are more susceptible to HFD-induced renal injury.
Implementation of Birth-Cohort Testing for Hepatitis C Virus
Authors: Kruger Danielle Liffmann , Rein David B. , Kil Natalie , Jordan Cynthia , Brown Kimberly A. , Yartel Anthony , Smith Bryce D.
Published: August 2016

Hepatitis C virus infection affects approximately 2.2 to 3.2 million Americans. In 2012, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended a one-time antibody test of all persons belonging to the 1945-1965 birth cohort. Efforts to implement this recommendation in clinical settings are in their infancy; this case study report therefore seeks to share the experiences of three sites that implemented interventions to increase birth-cohort testing through participation in the Birth-cohort Evaluation to Advance Screening and Testing for Hepatitis C. At each site, project managers completed standardized questionnaires about their implementation experiences, and a qualitative analysis was conducted of the responses. The testing interventions used in-person recruitment, mail recruitment, and an electronic health record prompt. Sites reported that early efforts to obtain stakeholder buy-in were critical to effectively implement and sustain interventions and that the intervention required additional staffing resources beyond those being used for risk-based testing. In each case, administrative barriers were more extensive than anticipated. For the electronic health record–based intervention, technological support was critical in achieving study goals. Despite these barriers, interventions in all sites were successful in increasing rates of testing and case identification, although future studies will need to evaluate the relative costs and benefits of each intervention.
Effects of staggered blades on the hydraulic characteristics of a 1400-MW canned nuclear coolant pump
Authors: Zhou Fang-Ming , Wang Xiao-Fang
Published: August 2016

A canned nuclear coolant pump is used in an advanced third-generation pressurized water reactor. Impeller is a key component of a canned nuclear coolant pump. Usually, the blade is installed between the hub and the shroud as an entire part. The blade is divided into two parts and is staggered in the circumferential direction is an approach of blade design. To understand the effects of staggered blades on a canned nuclear coolant pump, this article numerically investigated different types of staggering. The validity of the numerical simulation was confirmed by comparing the numerical and experimental results. The performance change of a canned nuclear coolant pump with staggered blades was acquired. Hydraulic performance curves, axial force curves, static pressure distributions at the impeller outlet, and static pressure pulsations were performed to investigate the performance changes caused by the staggered blades. The results show that the staggered blade has an important influence on the performance of canned nuclear coolant pumps. A staggered blade does not improve hydraulic performance but does improve the axial force and pressure pulsation. Specifically, the staggered blades can significantly reduce the pressure pulsation amplitude on the impeller pass frequency.
Investigation on the influence of jetting equipment on the characteristics of centrifugal pump
Authors: Si Qiaorui , Yuan Shouqi , Yuan Jianping , Bois Gérard
Published: August 2016

To reduce radial noises from the motor of centrifugal pumps, this study designed a water cooling system called jetting equipment to replace traditional fan cooling systems in pump motors. By measuring radiated noises, head, efficiency, and cavitation performance, the research compared the differences among experimental results of the original pump unit, the one with a normal design jetting pipe and another one with a larger jetting pipe. Results show that the radiated sound pressure level of the model pump was significantly reduced by 8.3 dB after integrating the jetting pipe. With a normal jetting pipe, no significant changes were observed in the head, efficiency, and shaft power curves, and cavitation performance improved under small flow rate. However, the performance with the larger jetting pipe worsened, except the hump phenomenon of the model pump under a small flow rate was enhanced. Computational fluid dynamics method was used to calculate the internal flow of three model pumps in order to investigate the jetting flow effect. A comparison among the flow fields at the inlet of the three types of pumps indicated that high-pressure water injection can effectively control inlet recirculation and improve velocity distribution in the inlet flow field with decreased recirculation vortex strength and recirculation onset critical flow rate.
‘How families live …’ – the views and experiences of parent-carers who provide family placements to intellectual disability nursing students
Authors: McClimens Alex , Finlayson Janet , Darbyshire Chris
Published: August 2016

Aim:

We aimed to learn about the value of family placements from the perspective of parent-carers who provide them to nurse students via a Scottish university Family Placement Scheme.

Method:

Qualitative interviews were conducted with seven parent-carers who provided a family placement over two academic years. Descriptive data was analysed, organized into themes and subject to content analysis: parents’ descriptions of caring; their perceived value of family placements; and their views and experiences of participation in intellectual disability nurse education.

Results:

Family placements are beneficial to nurse students and families with children with an intellectual disability. Description of wider aspects of caring was provided, offering insight into learning experiences of students on placement.

Conclusion:

This model of learning provides opportunities for students to appreciate the reality of caring for a relative with an intellectual disability at home. Students develop their practice skills for working in partnership with family carers.
‘Coming up next’: The discourse of television news headlines
Authors: Montgomery Martin , Feng Debing
Published: August 2016

Despite the adoption of the term headline for both print news and broadcast news, their roles in the different media are not the same. Print headlines are mostly contiguous with the story to which they refer. Broadcast headlines, however, are often at some temporal distance from their associated news item. In the print medium every story carries a headline. In broadcast news only some items are headlined. And yet, whereas the linguistic properties of print headlines have been much studied, almost no attention has been given to broadcast headlines. This article uses a corpus of headlines from BBC television news to explore their discursive form and function. It isolates a basic structure of {heading (+supplement)} for television news headlines and delineates a repertoire of patterns through which the structure is realised. In doing so, it suggests that the core function of television news headlines is to engage with the audience by projecting aspects of their news values forward through the programme.
Visual propaganda on Facebook: A comparative analysis of Syrian conflicts
Authors: Seo Hyunjin , Ebrahim Husain
Published: August 2016

Social media platforms have become important in spreading propaganda images during conflicts, as demonstrated in several recent cases including the Israeli–Hamas confrontation in 2012 and graphic internet videos by the self-proclaimed Islamic State in 2014. This study examines the role of visual propaganda in the social media age by analyzing themes, frames, and structural features of images posted on the official Facebook pages of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces in 2013 and 2014. Our content analysis shows interesting differences and similarities between the two sides in using images to promote their political agendas during the recent Syrian conflicts following the 2011 uprisings. The Syrian government used visual frames to support its narrative that President Assad is a fearless leader protecting its people and that life has continued normally throughout Syria. The Syrian opposition used various images to solidify its narrative of the Assad regime’s brutality and sufferings of Syrian civilians. There were significant differences in terms of audience reactions to images with different themes and frames. These and other issues are discussed in the context of visual propaganda and framing in social media-based information warfare.
Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome in pregnancy: A case report
Authors: Yusuf Lydia , Dukka Srivasavi , Ciantar Etienne
Published: August 2016

Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder estimated to affect 1 in 500,000 to 1,000,000 individuals worldwide. Clinically, it presents as oculocutaneous albinism combined with bleeding diathesis. This is due to the absence of dense bodies in platelets causing a delayed secondary response resulting in prolonged bleeding time despite normal platelet count and coagulation factors. This has consequences for major bleeding, the risk of which is high at delivery. In the longer term, the condition is also associated with the development of pulmonary fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disorders caused by granulomatous colitis and renal failure. We present a case of a patient with Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome diagnosed and managed through her second pregnancy by the Obstetric Haematology team in a Tertiary Unit. During her previous pregnancy at a District Hospital, they had not been aware of the diagnosis; she then had a forceps delivery and her haemoglobin dropped to 69 g/L. During this pregnancy, she was managed in a multidisciplinary setting involving obstetrics, haematology, anaesthesia and neonatology. She was induced at 39 weeks and had human leukocyte antigen-matched platelets prepared for her delivery. Her platelet count was normal throughout the pregnancy. She had a normal vaginal delivery under platelet cover and also received tranexamic acid at the time of cord clamping. Her blood loss was moderate and her haemoglobin dropped from 115 to 97 g/L. She recovered well. We discuss the diagnosis, pathology and management of this very rare condition in pregnancy and thereafter.
A systems perspective on non-normality in low-order thermoacoustic models: Full norms, semi-norms and transient growth
Authors: Blumenthal Ralf S , Tangirala Arun K , Sujith RI , Polifke Wolfgang
Published: August 2016

Non-normal transient growth of energy is a feature encountered in many physical systems. Its observation is intimately related to the norm used to describe the system dynamics. For a multi-physics problem such as thermoacoustics, where a heat source is in feedback with acoustic waves and a flow field, the appropriate metric is an ongoing matter of debate. Adopting a systemic perspective, it is argued in the present paper that an energy norm is, in principle, a matter of choice, but one that is critically tied to the dynamics described by the system model. To illustrate our arguments, it is shown that different norms exhibit the non-normal dynamics of thermoacoustic systems differently, but that this difference is fully explicable by the energy flux and source terms related to the formulation of the model. The non-normal dynamics as such is unaffected by the choice of norm, and transient growth merely results from a maximization of the flux and source terms governing the energy balance associated with the specific model formulation. Investigating transient growth for arbitrary energy norms requires the capability to handle semi-norm optimization problems. In the present study, we propose an approach to do so using the singular value decomposition. Non-normal transient growth around a stable fix point is then investigated for a low-order model of a simple thermoacoustic configuration of a premixed flame enclosed in a duct with non-zero mean temperature jump and bulk mean flow. The corresponding optimal mode shapes and pertinent parameters leading to transient growth are identified and discussed. For transient growth resulting from the interaction of the flame with the acoustic field, it is found that heat sources with a fast response lead to more transient growth than slow heat sources, because the system can bear a larger source term before becoming linearly unstable. Furthermore, the amount of transient energy growth does not increase monotonically with the amplitude of the initial perturbation of the flame.
Spray and atomization characteristics of gas-centered swirl coaxial injectors
Authors: Anand Rahul , Ajayalal PR , Kumar Vikash , Salih A , Nandakumar K
Published: August 2016

To achieve uniform and efficient combustion in a rocket engine, a fine uniform spray is needed. The same is achieved by designing an injector with good atomization characteristics. Gas-centered swirl coaxial (GCSC) injector elements have been preferred recently in liquid rocket engines because of an inherent capability to dampen the pressure oscillations in the thrust chamber. The gas-centered swirl coaxial injector chosen for this study is proposed to be used in a semi-cryogenic rocket engine operating with oxidizer rich hot exhaust gases from the pre-burner and liquid kerosene as fuel. In this paper, nine different configurations of gas-centered swirl coaxial injector, sorted out by studying the spray angle and coefficient of discharge with swirl number varying from 9 to 20 and recess ratio of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 are investigated for their atomization characteristics. Spray uniformity, spray cone angle, and droplet size in terms of Sauter mean diameter and mass median diameter are studied at various momentum flux ratios for all configurations. Sauter mean diameter is almost independent of recess ratio, whereas cone angle was inversely proportional to the recess ratio. A finer atomization was observed for injectors of high swirl number but the pressure drop also increased to achieve the same flow rate. An injector of medium swirl number and recess ratio of 1.5 is deemed most fit for above-mentioned application.
Reduction in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonisation: impact of a screening and decolonisation programme
Authors: Garvey Mark I , Winfield Jodie , Wiley Carolyn , Reid Matthew , Cooper Mike
Published: August 2016

Patients in care homes are often at ‘high risk’ of being methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonised. Here we report the prevalence of MRSA, the effect of MRSA screening and decolonisation in Wolverhampton care-home residents. Eighty-two care homes (1665 residents) were screened for MRSA, three times at 6-monthly intervals (referred to as phases one, two and three). Screening and decolonisation of MRSA-colonised residents led to a reduction in the prevalence of MRSA from 8.7% in phase one, 6.3% in phase 2 and 4.7% in phase three. Overall, the study suggests that care-home facilities in Wolverhampton are a significant reservoir for MRSA; screening and decolonisation has reduced the risk to residents going for procedures and has indirectly impacted on MRSA rates in the acute Trust.
Curricula and Inferential Factors That Affect Student Achievement in Rural, Urban, and Peri-Urban Senior High Schools in Ghana
Authors: Opoku-Asare Nana Afia , Siaw Abena Okyerewa
Published: August 2016

Teaching and learning in Ghana’s Senior High Schools (SHSs) are guided by a centralized curriculum, teaching syllabus, textbooks, assessment criteria, and examinations, yet rural–urban disparities exist in educational resources provision, which significantly affect teaching and learning processes and student achievement in the SHSs, particularly those on the Visual Arts program. To understand the factors that cause rural–urban differentials in student performance in different SHSs in Ghana, we adopted a qualitative–quantitative research approach with interview, observation, and questionnaire administration to examine teaching and learning of Visual Arts in six public SHSs: two each in rural, peri-urban, and urban settings in metropolitan Kumasi. Findings from data sourced from 120 students (66 males; 54 females), 17 teachers (15 males; two females), and 24 Visual Arts lessons revealed that unlike Visual Arts education in urban SHSs, student achievement in rural and peri-urban schools is hampered by lowered criteria for admitting students into Visual Arts, large class sizes, lack of studio facilities, insufficient specialist teachers, and instructional time for teaching elective Visual Arts subjects, adoption of ineffective teaching strategies, setting of low academic standards, and inadequate funding for teaching practical lessons. Unlike rural and peri-urban SHSs, urban schools organize speech and prize-giving days to motivate students, and effectively collaborate with Visual Arts students to mount art exhibitions to showcase their creativity. Improving the quality and distribution of social infrastructure, educational facilities, and qualified teachers, and actively monitoring educational standards in rural and peri-urban SHSs could raise academic achievement for students in all parts of Ghana.
Food Logging and Blogging Toward Healthier Nutrition: Bringing the Curriculum Out of the Classroom and Into the 21st Century
Authors: Percoco Vanessa M.
Published: August 2016

This article focuses on the benefits of promoting lifelong, healthy eating habits within a student-centered blog. A learning community, located in an urban, northeastern section of the United States, was formed between two fifth grades from different socioeconomic backgrounds and college students enrolled in a nutrition class. Components of this unit, Food Logging and Blogging, include students’ completion and analysis of food diaries, face-to-face discussions regarding healthy eating habits, and a blog. Blogging, still a fairly new form of communication in the classroom environment, promotes engaging conversations and has increased nutrition knowledge. Advantages of blogging include authenticity with audience, transparency that gives students a platform to speak candidly, improved digital literacy savvy, and higher order thinking skills. It also offers prospective health teachers and professionals an alternative form of communication.
Teachers’ Understandings, Perspectives, and Experiences of Dyslexia
Authors: Worthy Jo , DeJulio Samuel , Svrcek Natalie , Villarreal Doris Ann , Derbyshire Christine , LeeKeenan Kira , Wiebe Molly Trinh , Lammert Catherine , Rubin Jessica Cira , Salmerón Cori
Published: August 2016

Dyslexia policy and practice have been rapidly outpacing research. Due to legislation and media attention, schools are under pressure to attend to dyslexia, but research provides few clear answers about characteristics, identification, or instruction. Most dyslexia research takes place outside literacy education, and teachers’ perspectives are heard only when their knowledge is questioned. Our research addresses these gaps with a qualitative study examining perspectives, understandings, and experiences of 32 Texas public school educators regarding dyslexia. Two major themes were evident: First, teachers felt responsible for meeting the needs of all their students, including those identified as dyslexic. Second, participants named barriers that interfered with attempts to support students, including limited information and confusing policies and procedures. This research provides new information about teacher’s understandings, experiences, and perspectives concerning dyslexia that goes beyond surveys. This study’s literature review provides information about the state of current dyslexia research, including its limitations.
Wobbling With Writing
Authors: Garcia Antero , O’Donnell-Allen Cindy
Published: August 2016

We explore three primary paradigms that continue to dominate writing instruction in secondary schools. By illustrating these paradigms, exploring their underlying assumptions with two classes of preservice teachers (PSTs) enrolled in a required course on teaching writing and identifying theoretical and pedagogical alternatives, we examine how models of teacher preparation can invite teacher educators and PSTs to “wobble” with and, consequently critique, their deeply held beliefs about writing instruction. We analyze data collected in two major course projects completed at the beginning and end of the course to demonstrate how supporting PSTs in critiquing and exploring alternative approaches to teaching writing can enable them to challenge the “methods du jour” that emerge as a result of problematic models of school assessment and policy. Ultimately, this study illustrates promising interventions for helping PSTs do more than simply teach writing in formulaic ways at the expense of addressing students’ needs in their specific teaching contexts.
Scientific Growth and Identity Development during a Postbaccalaureate Program: Results from a Multisite Qualitative Study
Authors: Remich Robin , Naffziger-Hirsch Michelle E. , Gazley J. Lynn , McGee Richard
Published: August 2016

This report builds upon our previous study, which described five patterns of why college graduates join National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded diversity-focused Postbaccalaureate Research Education Programs (PREP). A 2015 report from the NIH showed that a high fraction of PREP participants matriculate into PhD and MD/PhD programs. This current study reveals how participants change during PREP, the program elements that facilitate change, and how identity as a graduate student and future scientist develops. Data come from in-depth interviews done at the beginning and end of PREP with 48 individuals from seven PREP programs. Results reveal three domains of development: academics, research, and presentation of oneself; each domain contains a developmental continuum. Key attributes of PREP enabling development include opportunities to attend graduate-level classes and seminars; time to practice reading literature; extended lab time with one’s own project; high and explicit expectations from mentors; and multiple opportunities to talk about science and improve communication skills. PREP enabled participants to develop their identities as graduate students and to anticipate being seen by others as highly prepared for PhD training. After PREP, 85% (n = 41) started the PhD or MD/PhD, making PREP an intervention approach with great potential to broaden participation in biomedical PhD programs.
Kinesin-1 sorting in axons controls the differential retraction of arbor terminals
Authors: Seno Takeshi , Ikeno Tatsuki , Mennya Kousuke , Kurishita Masayuki , Sakae Narumi , Sato Makoto , Takada Hiroki , Konishi Yoshiyuki
Published: August 2016

The ability of neurons to generate multiple arbor terminals from a single axon is crucial for establishing proper neuronal wiring. Although growth and retraction of arbor terminals are differentially regulated within the axon, the mechanisms by which neurons locally control their structure remain largely unknown. In the present study, we found that the kinesin-1 (Kif5 proteins) head domain (K5H) preferentially marks a subset of arbor terminals. Time-lapse imaging clarified that these arbor terminals were more stable than others, because of a low retraction rate. Local inhibition of kinesin-1 in the arbor terminal by chromophore-assisted light inactivation (CALI) enhanced the retraction rate. The microtubule turnover was locally regulated depending on the length from the branching point to the terminal end, but did not directly correlate with the presence of K5H. By contrast, F-actin signal values in arbor terminals correlated spatiotemporally with K5H, and inhibition of actin turnover prevented retraction. Results from the present study reveal a new system mediated by kinesin-1 sorting in axons that differentially controls stability of arbor terminals.