bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bereaved Siblings’ Advice to Health Care Professionals Working With Children With Cancer and Their Families
Authors: Lövgren Malin , Bylund-Grenklo Tove , Jalmsell Li , Wallin Alexandra Eilegård , Kreicbergs Ulrika
Published: December 2015

Introduction: Siblings of children with cancer experience psychosocial distress during the illness and after bereavement, but often stand outside the spotlight of attention and care. This study explored bereaved siblings’ advice to health care professionals (HCPs) working with children with cancer and their families. Materials and Methods: In a nationwide Swedish survey of bereaved siblings, 174/240 (73%) participated. Of these, 108 answered an open-ended question about what advice they would give to HCPs working with children with cancer and their families. In this study, responses to this single question were analyzed using content analysis. Results: The most common advice, suggested by 56% of siblings, related to their own support. One third suggested giving better medical information to siblings. Some siblings wanted to be more practically involved in their brother’s/sister’s care and suggested that HCPs should give parents guidance on how to involve siblings. Other common advice related to psychosocial aspects, such as the siblings’ wish for HCPs to mediate hope, yet also realism, and the importance of asking the ill child about what care they wanted. Conclusion: Information, communication, and involvement should be emphasized by HCPs to support siblings’ psychosocial needs in both the health care setting and within the family.
Recursive optimization method for monitoring of tension loss in cables of cable-stayed bridges
Authors: Nazarian Ebrahim , Ansari Farhad , Azari Hoda
Published: December 2015

A simple method is introduced for the detection of damage in the cables of cable-stayed bridges. The approach presented herein utilizes the change in support reactions to localize and quantify the damage in the cables. Determination of support reactions was achieved by detection of the deck element shear forces adjacent to the supports. The analytical approach is formulated as a recursive optimization damage detection technique, in which model updating is employed to account for the changes in the cable stiffness as a result of damage. The efficiency of this approach was evaluated on a reduced-scale cable-stayed bridge in the laboratory. In addition to the laboratory experiments, the proposed approach was also evaluated by simulating damage in an actual cable-stayed bridge through numerical studies. Several different damage scenarios with various levels of damage were considered in the experiments, as well as in the numerical simulations. The results indicate that the proposed method is capable of identifying the location of the damaged cables in the bridge for cases involving up to two damaged cables.
Training Teachers to Enhance the Play Skills of Young Children With Developmental Disabilities During Outdoor Time by Embedding Instructional Interactions
Authors: Martin Christian A. , Drasgow Erik , Halle James W.
Published: December 2015

We created and evaluated a professional development package for training four teachers to embed instructional interactions during outdoor time to enhance the play skills of young children with significant developmental disabilities. The instructional package included an initial 20-min session that consisted of providing written and verbal instructions, modeling, and rehearsal with feedback. Following the initial training session, we provided teachers with self-monitoring cards to guide their interactions and with feedback (i.e., coaching) on their performance. Researcher involvement was faded over four sessions. Results indicated that teachers increased and maintained their instructional interactions with targeted children after receiving the professional development package. Children’s engagement in outdoor play served as a collateral outcome measure and revealed improvement. Supplemental probe data were gathered by an unobtrusive recorder to assess observer reactivity and maintenance of teacher performance in the absence of the primary observer. These unobtrusive observations were inconclusive but suggested a potential effect attributable to reactivity.
Using Video Modeling, Prompting, and Behavior-Specific Praise to Increase Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity for Young Children With Down Syndrome
Authors: Adamo Elyse K. , Wu Jenny , Wolery Mark , Hemmeter Mary Louise , Ledford Jennifer R. , Barton Erin E.
Published: December 2015

Children with Down syndrome may be at increased risk of problems associated with inactivity. Early intervention to increase physical activity may lead to increased participation in typical activities and long-term increases in quality of life (e.g., decreased likelihood of obesity-related illness). A multi-component intervention, including video modeling, prompting, and behavior-specific praise, was implemented to increase the physical activity behaviors of three young children with Down syndrome on a typical preschool playground. Results, evaluated in the context of an A-B-A-B withdrawal design, showed increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for all children during intervention conditions. To evaluate social validity of behavior changes, average data values in each condition were graphed alongside normative comparison data of typically developing peers, showing that average MVPA for participants during intervention conditions was lower than average peer values but was within the range demonstrated by peers.
Alabama Parenting Questionnaire–9: Longitudinal Measurement Invariance Across Parents and Youth During the Transition to High School
Authors: Gross Thomas J. , Fleming Charles B. , Mason W. Alex , Haggerty Kevin P.
Published: December 2015

The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire nine-item short form (APQ-9) is an often used assessment of parenting in research and applied settings. It uses parent and youth ratings for three scales: Positive Parenting, Inconsistent Discipline, and Poor Supervision. The purpose of this study is to examine the longitudinal invariance of the APQ-9 for both parents and youth, and the multigroup invariance between parents and youth during the transition from middle school to high school. Parent and youth longitudinal configural, metric, and scalar invariance for the APQ-9 were supported when tested separately. However, the multigroup invariance tests indicated that scalar invariance was not achieved between parent and youth ratings. Essentially, parent and youth mean scores for Positive Parenting, Inconsistent Discipline, and Poor Supervision can be independently compared across the transition from middle school to high school. However, comparing parent and youth scores across the APQ-9 scales may not be meaningful.
Changes in Public Prenatal Care Coverage Options for Noncitizens Since Welfare Reform
Authors: Green Tiffany , Hochhalter Stephanie , Dereszowska Krystyna , Sabik Lindsay
Published: December 2015

Before 1996, most lawfully present noncitizens were eligible for the same prenatal Medicaid benefits as U.S. citizens. However, the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA)—welfare reform—restricted benefits for certain lawful noncitizens for the first time. Welfare reform also gave states unprecedented authority to determine Medicaid eligibility. More recent federal policy changes have allowed states to cover some noncitizen pregnant women initially excluded under welfare reform. However, there are few comprehensive studies examining state implementation of these policy options. This study documents state-level trends in prenatal Medicaid and state-funded coverage options for low-income noncitizens just prior to and since welfare reform. While some states have substantially expanded prenatal coverage since PRWORA, wide variation remains. These findings have important implications for understanding the potential effects of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion on health care utilization and birth outcomes among pregnant noncitizens.
Team Process Variation Across Diabetes Quality of Care Trajectories
Authors: Benzer Justin K. , Mohr David C. , Evans Leigh , Young Gary , Meterko Mark M. , Moore Scott C. , Nealon Seibert Marjorie , Osatuke Katerine , Stolzmann Kelly L. , White Bert , Charns Martin P.
Published: December 2015

Conceptual frameworks in health care do not address mechanisms whereby teamwork processes affect quality of care. We seek to fill this gap by applying a framework of teamwork processes to compare different patterns of primary care performance over time. We thematically analyzed 114 primary care staff interviews across 17 primary care clinics. We purposefully selected clinics using diabetes quality of care over 3 years using four categories: consistently high, improving, worsening, and consistently low. Analyses compared participant responses within and between performance categories. Differences were observed among performance categories for action processes (monitoring progress and coordination), transition processes (goal specification and strategy formulation), and interpersonal processes (conflict management and affect management). Analyses also revealed emergent concepts related to psychological and organizational context that were reported to affect team processes. This study is a first step toward a comprehensive model of how teamwork processes might affect quality of care.
Parametric study on static and dynamic characteristics of bump-type gas foil thrust bearing for oil-free turbomachinery
Authors: Feng Kai , Liu Liang-Jun , Guo Zhi-Yang , Zhao Xue-Yuan
Published: December 2015

Gas foil bearings have bright application prospects in oil-free turbomachinery such as aircraft air cycle machines, compressors and gas turbines. To extend the applicability of foil bearings to high-speed and heavy-load systems, the axial force produced primarily by the pressure difference between the turbine and compressor sides must be taken into consideration. The thrust disc of the rotor is typically used to sustain the axial force and maintain the attitude of the rotor in a rotor-bearing system. In an analytical model used to predict the performance of gas foil thrust bearings (GFTBs), fluid–structure interaction must be considered because of the coupling effects of hydrodynamic lubrication and the compliance of bearing surface. In this study, a link-spring structural model was employed to calculate the equivalent vertical stiffness of the bump foil. This model exhaustively considered the effect of three factors: flexibility of the bump foil, interactions between bumps, and frictional forces at the contact surfaces. In addition, top foil deflection that directly affects film thickness is calculated using a finite-element shell model. The static and dynamic characteristics of GFTBs were predicted after solving the steady-state Reynolds equation and two linearized dynamic coefficient equations which were obtained with perturbation method by using finite-difference method. The structural deformation equation was substituted into the Reynolds equations in the calculation process. The calculated static load was compared with the published experimental data, and the results validated the theoretical analysis. Thereafter, the static and dynamic characteristics including impact of rotational speed, initial minimum film thickness and the ratio of the inlet to outlet film thicknesses were analyzed. Parametric studies were also conducted to evaluate the effect of different structural parameters of the bump foil and journal tilting on the static characteristics of GFTBs. Because the proposed analytical model is completely algebraic, it can be easily programmed for accurately and effectively investigating the performance of GFTBs.
Tele-intervention for children with hearing loss: A comparative pilot study
Authors: Havenga Estienne , Swanepoel De Wet , le Roux Talita , Schmid Brenda
Published: December 2015

Introduction

This pilot study compared tele-intervention to conventional intervention for children with hearing loss in terms of communication performance, parental perceptions and clinician perceptions.

Methods

A within-subject design was employed, including 10 children with hearing loss and their parents who each received a structurally similar tele-intervention and conventional intervention session in a counterbalanced manner. Quality of communication performance was analysed using a modified Tait video analysis method. Parent and clinician perceptions were collected through rating-scale surveys and thematic analysis of qualitative responses.

Results

No significant difference ( p > 0.05) was found between tele-intervention and conventional intervention in terms of communication performance of children. Parent perceptions were not significantly different ( p > 0.05) between conventional and tele-intervention in terms of facilitating meaningful communication interaction. Significant differences were evident for parents' comfort level during the session, whether they found it to be a beneficial experience and whether they would like to continue receiving intervention through this method.  Clinician perceptions of conventional and tele-intervention were not significantly different ( p > 0.05) and tele-intervention was deemed a valuable method of service delivery for clients.

Discussion

This study provides preliminary evidence that tele-intervention is effective for communication intervention and can be a valuable solution to typical barriers such as distance and the shortage of trained interventionists.
Home monitoring of heart failure patients at risk for hospital readmission using a novel under-the-mattress piezoelectric sensor: A preliminary single centre experience
Authors: Bennett Mosi K , Shao Mingyuan , Gorodeski Eiran Z
Published: December 2015

Introduction

A piezoelectric sensor (PS) converts mechanical deformations into electrical signals. We used a contactless under-the-mattress PS to monitor physiological vibrations resulting from breathing, pumping of the heart, and body movements, among individuals at home following hospitalization for heart failure (HF). Our objectives were to assess acceptability of the device in the home, to assess physiological patterns, and to determine if altered patterns correlate with readmission.

Methods

We conducted a prospective observational study of 30 patients discharged home following HF hospitalization. PS data included a continuous nightly assessment of heart rate, respiration rate, movement rate, rapid and shallow respiration duration, and a behaviour score. We utilized random forest classification to classify average nightly data by readmission status.

Results

We collected 640 nights of PS data from 29 patients. There were nine readmissions, of which four were for HF. PS monitoring was tolerated by all but one of the participants. We inspected continuous nightly physiological profiles and noted differences between patients who were and were not readmitted. Patients readmitted for HF had higher average heart and respiration rates, and more respiration variability. Average nightly respiratory rate was most predictive of readmission.

Discussion

We are the first to study nocturnal physiological patterns of HF patients at home using a contactless under-the-mattress monitoring system. We noted patterns that may be unique to patients at risk for readmission due to HF. Respiratory rate was the most important risk-adjusted associate of readmission for HF. Further studies should investigate the efficacy of home PS monitoring in HF populations.
Fabrication of NiTi alloy: A review
Authors: Sharma Neeraj , Jangra Kamal K , Raj Tilak
Published: December 2015

Nitinol (NiTi) is categorized as a smart material which is highly recognized material for medical and other engineering applications. The behaviour of NiTi can be modified by altering the composition, modifying the porosity and applying external thermal and mechanical treatment. Due to high composition sensitivity, there are several impediments in fabrication of NiTi with conventional techniques which impel the use of additive manufacturing methods. But due to very high cost of equipments, these processes have not been commercialized till now. This paper presents a review on applications, manufacturing NiTi alloy and its various production routes from conventional to rapid prototyping, porous NiTi, effect of additives on properties of the alloy and its challenges.
Phenomenological modeling of combustion and NOx emissions using detailed tabulated chemistry methods in diesel engines
Authors: Rezaei Reza , Dinkelacker Friedrich , Tilch Benjamin , Delebinski Thaddaeus , Brauer Maximilian
Published: December 2015

Enhancing the predictive quality of engine models, while maintaining an affordable computational cost, is of great importance. In this study, a phenomenological combustion and a tabulated NOx model, focusing on efficient modeling and improvement of computational effort, is presented. The proposed approach employs physical and chemical sub-models for local processes such as injection, spray formation, ignition, combustion, and NOx formation, being based on detailed tabulated chemistry methods. The applied combustion model accounts for the turbulence-controlled as well as the chemistry-controlled combustion. The phenomenological combustion model is first assessed for passenger car application, especially with multiple pilot injections and high exhaust gas recirculation ratios for low-load operating points. The validation results are presented for representative operating conditions from a single-cylinder light-duty diesel engine and over the entire engine map of a heavy-duty diesel engine. In the second part of this study, a novel approach for accurate and very fast modeling of NO formation in combustion engines is proposed. The major focus of this study is on the development of a very fast-running NO mechanism for usage in the next generation of the engine control units. This approach is based on tabulation of a detailed chemical kinetic mechanism and is validated against the detailed chemical reaction mechanism at all engine-relevant conditions with the variation in pressure, temperature, and air–fuel ratio under stationary and ramp-type transient conditions in a perfectly stirred reactor. Using this approach, a very good match to the results from calculations with the detailed chemical mechanism is observed. Finally, the tabulated NOx kinetic model is implemented in the combustion model for in-cylinder NOx prediction and compared with the experimental engine measurement data.
Marketing the ‘city of smells’
Authors: Henshaw Victoria , Medway Dominic , Warnaby Gary , Perkins Chris
Published: December 2015

This article explores how smell might contribute to urban identity, building on the strong links between smell, limbic processing and emotion. It critically examines existing scent marketing, psychology, and urban olfaction literatures, exploring the potential for the marketing of urban places through smell and capitalizing in particular on ambient smells that already exist within a locale. The article makes an initial threefold contribution to theory and practice: (i) demonstrating the current use of smell in city marketing, and the inherent challenges arising; (ii) identifying ways in which smell might be used in future urban place marketing activities, and in particular to more explicitly communicate the experiential attributes of being in a particular city; and (iii) proposing that olfaction may, in certain circumstances, be an effective way of incorporating a more participatory modus operandi within urban place marketing effort. The article concludes with a further overarching theoretical contribution, involving a consideration of place marketing that incorporates non-representational perspectives.
VisExpress: Visual exploration of differential gene expression data
Authors: Simon Svenja , Mittelstädt Sebastian , Kwon Bum Chul , Stoffel Andreas , Landstorfer Richard , Neuhaus Klaus , Mühlig Anna , Scherer Siegfried , Keim Daniel A
Published: December 2015

Biologists are keen to understand how processes in cells react to environmental changes. Differential gene expression analysis allows biologists to explore functions of genes with data generated from different environments. However, these data and analysis lead to unique challenges since tasks are ill-defined, require implicit domain knowledge, comprise large volumes of data, and are, therefore, of explanatory nature. To investigate a scalable visualization-based solution, we conducted a design study with three biologists specialized in differential gene expression analysis. We stress our contributions in three aspects: first, we characterize the problem domain for exploring differential gene expression data and derive task abstractions and design requirements. Second, we investigate the design space and present an interactive visualization system, called VisExpress. Third, we evaluate the usefulness of VisExpress via a Pair Analytics study with real users and real data and report on insights that were gained by our experts with VisExpress.
Visualizing genealogy through a family-centric perspective
Authors: Ball Robert
Published: December 2015

Genealogy is a way to tell a story. Stories tell us who we are, where we came from, and are a foundation for future behavior. Genealogical visualizations are used to help understand and share the story of the past with others. Modern research for genealogy emphasizes the stories of families and communities. However, most genealogical visualizations are focused on the individual and have a number of limitations including not giving accurate stories of families and timelines. This article presents a temporal family-centric visualization paradigm that focuses on families and communities. It is unique in that it shows all the family relationships of individuals while at the same time putting the people into a correct historical and temporal context. In addition, it shows where temporal information is missing and uses heuristics to place people in approximately the right time frame. The new paradigm allows people to understand their stories of their families and the communities that they came from in order to create a whole story with context and details.
Neutral daylight illumination with variable transmission glass: Theory and validation
Authors: Mardaljevic J , Kelly Waskett R , Painter B
Published: December 2015

The dynamic control of daylight is seen as key for the effective exploitation of natural illumination in buildings. Traditional control solutions are invariably used in a sub-optimal manner: blinds/shades are left down for long periods and lights are left switched on. A glazing with a transmissivity that varies continuously between clear and dark extremes, and which can be controlled automatically, could be much more effective in providing a ‘well-tempered’ daylit environment that meets occupants needs. Amongst the different types of variable transmission glazing that have undergone extensive research and development in the last few decades, those based on electrochromism appear to have the best performance characteristics and the greatest market potential. Electrochromic (EC) glazing generally exhibits a shift in spectral transmission as the glass darkens, e.g. causing it to appear blue as it tints. Occupants, however, are believed to prefer a neutral spectrum of daylight illumination without any pronounced hue. In this paper, the authors show that it is possible to maintain a neutral spectrum of illumination with electrochromic (EC) glazing under normal operation provided that just a small proportion of the EC glazing is kept in the clear state. A theoretical model to predict the daylight spectrum resulting from any arbitrary combination of clear and tinted glazing is described. Predictions from the model are compared with measurements of the daylight spectra in an office with EC glazing under various states of tint. The predicted spectra show excellent agreement with the measurements. The model is applicable to any combination of clear and/or tinted glass panels irrespective of the glazing type(s). The paper concludes with a discussion of design considerations for the effective deployment of EC glazing.
New approach for appreciating the surgeon's satisfaction of braided sutures
Authors: Debbabi Faten , Abdessalem Saber B
Published: December 2015

Braided suture made with different materials and sizes is commonly used in many surgical interventions. Their key properties include tensile strength during tightening, knot security, surface morphology, knot slippage, and behavior during healing period. We have developed different testing procedures to measure these properties, but selection of suture should be brought under simultaneous considerations of all preferred properties related to surgical interventions and surgeon requirement.

In this study, we propose a new approach for appreciation of surgeon satisfaction by using global quality index corresponding to simultaneous satisfaction of several suture properties such as organoleptic and mechanical properties. A global quality index was developed by using desirability functions. A statistical survey based on the evaluation of suture qualities by Tunisian surgeons allowed the determination of surgeon's requirement, weights, and objectives of individual desirability functions corresponding to each suture property. Braided sutures have been submitted to different developed tests for the evaluation of suture properties during healing and tying. The obtained results are converted to individual desirability index in order to evaluate satisfaction degree of each suture property. Finally, geometric and arithmetic mean aggregation are used to determine the global quality by attributing relative weight to each individual satisfaction degree. Global quality index of polyamide-braided sutures fabricated under different braiding conditions was determined. Obtained results allow the identification of optimal suture for specific surgical interventions.
Measuring Educators’ Perceptions of Their Skills Relative to Response to Intervention
Authors: Castillo Jose M. , March Amanda L. , Stockslager Kevin M. , Hines Constance V.
Published: December 2015

The Perceptions of RtI Skills Survey is a self-report measure that assesses educators’ perceptions of their data-based problem-solving skills—a critical element of many Response-to-Intervention (RtI) models. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate the underlying factor structure of this tool. Educators from 68 ( n = 2,397) and 60 ( n = 1,961) schools in a southeastern state participated during the spring of 2008 and spring of 2010, respectively. Results supported a correlated three-factor model with the following dimensions: Perceptions of RtI Skills Applied to Academic Content, Perceptions of RtI Skills Applied to Behavior Content, and Perceptions of Data Display Skills. Internal consistency estimates for all factors exceeded .90. In addition, significant associations between factor scores and data-based problem-solving fidelity at Tiers I and II were found. Implications for educators facilitating RtI implementation are discussed.
Delayed Exercise Is Ineffective at Reversing Aberrant Nociceptive Afferent Plasticity or Neuropathic Pain After Spinal Cord Injury in Rats
Authors: Detloff Megan Ryan , Quiros-Molina Daniel , Javia Amy S. , Daggubati Lekhaj , Nehlsen Anthony D. , Naqvi Ali , Ninan Vinu , Vannix Kirsten N. , McMullen Mary-Katharine , Amin Sheena , Ganzer Patrick D. , Houlé John D.
Published: December 2015

Neuropathic pain is a debilitating consequence of spinal cord injury (SCI) that correlates with sensory fiber sprouting. Recent data indicate that exercise initiated early after SCI prevents the development of allodynia and modulated nociceptive afferent plasticity. This study determined if delaying exercise intervention until pain is detected would similarly ameliorate established SCI-induced pain. Adult, female Sprague-Dawley rats with a C5 unilateral contusion were separated into SCI allodynic and SCI non-allodynic cohorts at 14 or 28 days postinjury when half of each group began exercising on automated running wheels. Allodynia, assessed by von Frey testing, was not ameliorated by exercise. Furthermore, rats that began exercise with no allodynia developed paw hypersensitivity within 2 weeks. At the initiation of exercise, the SCI Allodynia group displayed marked overlap of peptidergic and non-peptidergic nociceptive afferents in the C7 and L5 dorsal horn, while the SCI No Allodynia group had scant overlap. At the end of 5 weeks of exercise both the SCI Allodynia and SCI No Allodynia groups had extensive overlap of the 2 c-fiber types. Our findings show that exercise therapy initiated at early stages of allodynia is ineffective at attenuating neuropathic pain, but rather that it induces allodynia-aberrant afferent plasticity in previously pain-free rats. These data, combined with our previous results, suggest that there is a critical therapeutic window when exercise therapy may be effective at treating SCI-induced allodynia and that there are postinjury periods when exercise can be deleterious.
Improving Motor Corticothalamic Communication After Stroke Using Real-Time fMRI Connectivity-Based Neurofeedback
Authors: Liew Sook-Lei , Rana Mohit , Cornelsen Sonja , Fortunato de Barros Filho Marcos , Birbaumer Niels , Sitaram Ranganatha , Cohen Leonardo G. , Soekadar Surjo R.
Published: December 2015

Background. Two thirds of stroke survivors experience motor impairment resulting in long-term disability. The anatomical substrate is often the disruption of cortico-subcortical pathways. It has been proposed that reestablishment of cortico-subcortical communication relates to functional recovery. Objective. In this study, we applied a novel training protocol to augment ipsilesional cortico-subcortical connectivity after stroke. Chronic stroke patients with severe motor impairment were provided online feedback of blood-oxygenation level dependent signal connectivity between cortical and subcortical regions critical for motor function using real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback. Results. In this proof of principle study, 3 out of 4 patients learned to voluntarily modulate cortico-subcortical connectivity as intended. Conclusions. Our results document for the first time the feasibility and safety for patients with chronic stroke and severe motor impairment to self-regulate and augment ipsilesional cortico-subcortical connectivity through neurofeedback using real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Social Media and Men’s Health: A Content Analysis of Twitter Conversations During the 2013 Movember Campaigns in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom
Authors: Bravo Caroline A. , Hoffman-Goetz Laurie
Published: December 2015

The Movember Foundation raises awareness and funds for men’s health issues such as prostate and testicular cancers in conjunction with a moustache contest. The 2013 Movember campaigns in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom shared the same goal of creating conversations about men’s health that lead to increased awareness and understanding of the health risks men face. Our objective was to explore Twitter conversations to identify whether the 2013 Movember campaigns sparked global conversations about prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and other men’s health issues. We conducted a content analysis of 12,666 tweets posted during the 2013 Movember campaigns in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom (4,222 tweets from each country) to investigate whether tweets were health-related or non-health-related and to determine what topics dominated conversations. Few tweets ( n = 84, 0.7% of 12,666 tweets) provided content-rich or actionable health information that would lead to awareness and understanding of men’s health risks. While moustache growing and grooming was the most popular topic in U.S. tweets, conversations about community engagement were most common in Canadian and U.K. tweets. Significantly more tweets co-opted the Movember campaign to market products or contests in the United States than Canada and the United Kingdom ( p < .05). Findings from this content analysis of Twitter suggest that the 2013 Movember campaigns in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom sparked few conversations about prostate and testicular cancers that could potentially lead to greater awareness and understanding of important men’s health issues.
Healthy Eating and Active Living: Rural-Based Working Men’s Perspectives
Authors: Oliffe John L. , Bottorff Joan L. , Sharp Paul , Caperchione Cristina M. , Johnson Steven T. , Healy Theresa , Lamont Sonia , Jones-Bricker Margaret , Medhurst Kerensa , Errey Sally
Published: December 2015

There is a pressing need for health promotion programs focused on increasing healthy eating and active living among “unreached” rural-based men. The purpose of the current study was to describe rural-based working men’s views about health to distil acceptable workplace approaches to promoting men’s healthy lifestyles. Two focus group interviews included 21 men who worked and lived in northern British Columbia, Canada. Interviews were approximately 2 hours in duration; data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Themes inductively derived included (a) food as quick filling fuels, (b) work strength and recreational exercise, and (c) (re)working masculine health norms. Participants positioned foods as quick filling fuels both at work and home as reflecting time constraints and the need to bolster energy levels. In the theme work strength and recreational exercise, men highlighted the physical labor demands pointing to the need to be resilient in overcoming the subarctic climate and/or work fatigue in order to fit in exercise. In the context of workplace health promotion programs for men, participants advised how clear messaging and linkages between health and work performance and productivity and cultivating friendly competition among male employees were central to reworking, as well as working, with established masculine health norms. Overall, the study findings indicate that the workplace can be an important means to reaching men in rural communities and promoting healthy eating and active living. That said, the development of workplace programs should be guided by strength-based masculine virtues and values that proactively embrace work and family life.
The Health of the Nation’s Custodial Grandfathers and Older Single Fathers: Findings From the Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System
Authors: Whitley Deborah M. , Fuller-Thomson Esme
Published: December 2015

Two important parent groups are solo grandfathers and single fathers raising children alone. The health of male caregivers raising children has received little attention by scholars. Investigating the health of single male caregivers raises awareness about their physical vulnerability. This study uses the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to compare health characteristics of 82 solo grandfathers with 396 single fathers aged 50 years and older. The findings suggest that grandfathers exhibited a high prevalence for various health conditions, including diabetes (44%), heart attack (27%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (23%), and stroke (6%). Almost half of grandfathers rated their health as fair/poor (47%), and nearly two in five had functional limitations (38%). Although older single fathers had better health characteristics than grandfathers, their health profile was poorer than population norms. Logistic regression analysis suggests that solo grandfathers are more at risk for poor health outcomes than older single fathers. Practice interventions to minimize health risks are discussed.
Who Do Batswana Men Prefer: Male or Female Health Providers?
Authors: Letshwenyo-Maruatona Sandra
Published: December 2015

Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services are rarely designed specifically to meet men’s needs. There is a general consensus among clinicians that males need access to SRH services. Studies have reported that men are often hesitant to go to health facilities because they feel uncomfortable being served by female providers. The study sought to determine whether men who participate in SRH services have specific preference for the gender of health workers for consultation on different types of services. A mixed-method design was employed. A combination of stratified proportional sampling of facilities and criterion purposive sampling of participants were used. Questionnaires were used to collect data from 390 participants, which were complemented with 10 in-depth interviews. Chi-square analysis with post hoc comparisons were used to determine whether there were significant differences in gender preference for specific services. Based on the data, Batswana males did not have any gender preference of the health provider for consultation on SRH services. The gender of the provider is of minor importance compared with other characteristics such as competence and confidentiality. However, the gender of the provider seems to be more important to younger men for delivery, sexually transmitted infections, voluntary counselling, and testing services. Further research is needed because the study was conducted in the city and the participants’ characteristics may be unique to an urban setting. Preferences for providers among demographic groups can be useful in informing resource prioritization and help direct program efforts to reach different subgroups of males.
Model Uncertainty via the Integration of Hormesis and LNT as the Default in Cancer Risk Assessment
Authors: Calabrese Edward J.
Published: December 2015

On June 23, 2015, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a formal notice in the Federal Register that it would consider whether “it should amend its ‘Standards for Protection Against Radiation’ regulations from the linear non-threshold (LNT) model of radiation protection to the hormesis model.” The present commentary supports this recommendation based on the (1) flawed and deceptive history of the adoption of LNT by the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1956; (2) the documented capacity of hormesis to make more accurate predictions of biological responses for diverse biological end points in the low-dose zone; (3) the occurrence of extensive hormetic data from the peer-reviewed biomedical literature that revealed hormetic responses are highly generalizable, being independent of biological model, end point measured, inducing agent, level of biological organization, and mechanism; and (4) the integration of hormesis and LNT models via a model uncertainty methodology that optimizes public health responses at 10−4. Thus, both LNT and hormesis can be integratively used for risk assessment purposes, and this integration defines the so-called “regulatory sweet spot.”
Tapping Into the App
Authors: Thomas Virginia , Azmitia Margarita
Published: December 2015

Our understanding of emerging adults is largely based on retrospective self-reports that can be limited by poor recall, current mood, and social desirability. To address these shortcomings, Larson and Csikszentmihalyi pioneered the experience sampling method (ESM) with electronic pagers and paper–pencil surveys. The increasing ubiquity of smartphone ownership allows researchers to take ESM to the next level: developing smartphone applications programmed to alert participants, collect responses, and send data directly to a database for analysis. This article suggests types of research questions relevant to emerging adults that can be pursued using ESM. We also present a case study of the development of an Android app with 68 emerging adults, including the challenges and benefits of using this technology. Despite the challenges, we encourage researchers to consider ESM as an innovative and ecologically valid method for studying within- and between-participant variability on a variety of topics relevant to emerging adults.
Perception of Managerial Competency Needs: An Indian Perspective
Authors: Srikanth P.B. , Jomon M.G.
Published: December 2015

Over the years, competencies have received increasing attention from human resource managers and practitioners. Despite increasing popularity, published research in the area of competencies remains sparse. From management development perspective, it is essential to determine the extent to which managers possess the required competencies for successful performance. This could be achieved by identifying competency needs. The aim of the article is, therefore, to empirically investigate managerial competency needs. In doing so, the study draws on a sample of 202 managerial employees from a leading banking and financial service provider based in India. A total of six managerial competency clusters for existing proficiency and eight managerial competency clusters for future proficiency were identified. The findings reveal perceived levels of existing competencies, gaps pertaining to present and future competency requirements and competencies that managers wish to improve through challenging assignments. Study implications, limitations and direction for future avenues of research are discussed.
Human Resource Management Practices in Bangladesh: Current Scenario and Future Challenges
Authors: Mahmood Monowar , Nurul Absar Mir Mohammed
Published: December 2015

The aim of this study is to assess current HRM practices in Bangladesh, as well as the future challenges the country faces. Based on secondary sources, we explain the institutional contexts of the four main generic HRM functions: recruitment and selection, training and development, pay and performance appraisal and industrial relations practices. Here, we also highlight recent developments and future challenges with regard to HRM practices. While credible research on HRM practices in Bangladesh is still rare, this study will be beneficial to researchers and HRM practitioners interested in Bangladesh and other developing countries and, we hope, will encourage future research.
Intravenous Foscarnet With Topical Cidofovir for Chronic Refractory Genital Herpes in a Patient With AIDS
Authors: Usoro Agnes , Batts Alfreda , Sarria Juan C.
Published: December 2015

Few case reports have documented the use of topical cidofovir for refractory genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) ulcers in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. This drug formulation lacks a standardized concentration or even a procedural outline as to how it should be compounded. We aim to discuss the utilization of topical cidofovir in addition to presenting a procedural means of compounding it for treatment of refractory genital HSV ulcers. Our patient completed 21 days of intravenous foscarnet and 13 days of topical cidofovir with clinical improvement in the penile and scrotal ulcers. Genital herpes is a concern in patients with HIV because it generally manifests as a persistent infection. Physicians should be aware that when patients fail to respond to the conventional treatment regimens for genital HSV in a timely manner, other options are available, such as topical cidofovir as an adjuvant to systemic antivirals.
Reduced-intensity transplantation for lymphomas using haploidentical related donors vs HLA-matched unrelated donors
Authors: Kanate Abraham S. , Mussetti Alberto , Kharfan-Dabaja Mohamed A. , Ahn Kwang W. , DiGilio Alyssa , Beitinjaneh Amer , Chhabra Saurabh , Fenske Timothy S. , Freytes Cesar , Gale Robert Peter , Ganguly Siddhartha , Hertzberg Mark , Klyuchnikov Evgeny , Lazarus Hillard M. , Olsson Richard , Perales Miguel-Angel , Rezvani Andrew , Riches Marcie , Saad Ayman , Slavin Shimon , Smith Sonali M. , Sureda Anna , Yared Jean , Ciurea Stefan , Armand Philippe , Salit Rachel , Bolaños-Meade Javier , Hamadani Mehdi
Published: December 2015

Key Points

Risk of grade III-IV acute and chronic GVHD is significantly lower with haploidentical compared with URD transplantation. Relapse risk, NRM, PFS, and OS was similar in haploidentical transplants compared with unrelated donor transplants.
Sleep disordered breathing in pregnancy
Authors: Izci Balserak Bilgay
Published: December 2015

Key points

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is common and the severity increases as pregnancy progresses.

Frequent snoring, older age and high pre-pregnancy body mass index (>25 kg⋅m−2) could be reliable indicators for SDB in early pregnancy.

SDB screening tools, including questionnaires, used in the nonpregnant population have poor predictive ability in pregnancy.

Accumulating evidence suggests that SDB during pregnancy may be associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, including gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously because several studies failed to adjust for potential maternal confounders and have other study limitations.

There are no pregnancy-specific practice guidelines for SDB treatment. Many clinicians and practices follow recommendations for the treatment in the general population. Women with pre-existing SDB might need to be reassessed, particularly after the sixth month of pregnancy, because symptoms can worsen with nasal congestion and weight gain.

Educational aims

To highlight the prevalence and severity of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in the pregnant population.

To inform readers about risk factors for SDB in pregnancy.

To explore the impact of SDB on adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, and biological pathways for associated adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.

To introduce current management options for SDB in pregnancy, including medical and behavioural approaches.

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is very common during pregnancy, and is most likely explained by hormonal, physiological and physical changes. Maternal obesity, one of the major risk factors for SDB, together with physiological changes in pregnancy may predispose women to develop SDB. SDB has been associated with poor maternal and fetal outcomes. Thus, early identification, diagnosis and treatment of SDB are important in pregnancy. This article reviews the pregnancy-related changes affecting the severity of SDB, the epidemiology and the risk factors of SDB in pregnancy, the association of SDB with adverse pregnancy outcomes, and screening and management options specific for this population.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Growth property at infinity of harmonic functions
Authors: Jiang Zongcai , Hou Linbo , Peixoto-de-Büyükkurt Corchado
Published: December 2015

This paper gives the growth property of certain harmonic functions at infinity in an n-dimensional cone, which generalize the results obtained by Huang and Qiao (Abstr. Appl. Anal. 2012:203096, 2012), Xu et al. (Bound. Value Probl. 2013:262, 2013), Yang and Ren (Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. Math. Sci. 124(2): 175-178, 2014) and Zhao and Yamada (J. Inequal. Appl. 2014:497, 2014) to the conical case.