bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute retrograde type A intramural hematoma treated with an endovascular approach
Authors: Vo Anh T , Le Khoi M , Nguyen Trang T , Vu Thanh T , Vu Thien T , Nguyen Dinh H
Published: March 2018

A 71-year-old woman was admitted with sudden onset of severe chest pain. Computed tomography demonstrated acute type A intramural hematoma with an entry tear in the first part of the descending aorta. The patient refused an operation. Endovascular repair was performed to prevent conversion to a typical dissection of the ascending aorta. At the 1-year follow-up, computed tomography showed total resolution of the intramural hematoma.
Assessment of electrocardiographic criteria of left atrial enlargement
Authors: Batra Mahesh Kumar , Khan Atif , Farooq Fawad , Masood Tariq , Karim Musa
Published: March 2018

Background

Left atrial enlargement is considered to be a robust, strong, and widely acceptable indicator of cardiovascular outcomes. Echocardiography is the gold standard for measurement of left atrial size, but electrocardiography can be simple, cost-effective, and noninvasive in clinical practice. This study was undertaken to assess the diagnostic accuracy of an established electrocardiographic criterion for left atrial enlargement, taking 2-dimensional echocardiography as the gold-standard technique.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 146 consecutively selected patients with the complaints of dyspnea and palpitation and with a murmur detected on clinical examination, from September 10, 2016 to February 10, 2017. Electrocardiography and echocardiography were performed in all patients. Patients with a negative P wave terminal force in lead V1 > 40 ms·mm on electrocardiography or left atrial dimension > 40 mm on echocardiography were classified as having left atrial enlargement. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to assess the diagnostic accuracy.

Results

Taking 2-dimensional echocardiography as the gold-standard technique, electrocardiography correctly diagnosed 68 patients as positive for left atrial enlargement and 12 as negative. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of electrocardiography for left atrial enlargement were 54.4%, 57.1%, 88.3%, 17.4%, and 54.8%, respectively.

Conclusion

The electrocardiogram appears to be a reasonable indicator of left atrial enlargement. In case of nonavailability of echocardiography, electrocardiography can be used for diagnosis of left atrial enlargement.
Orthotopic heart transplantation in children
Authors: Muthialu Nagarajan
Published: March 2018

Heart transplantation is a relatively infrequent but technically demanding procedure in pediatric cardiac surgery. Orthotopic heart transplantation is often offered to older children or adolescents following multiple previous operations, but with advances in intensive care, diagnostics, and management, more infants with complex congenital heart diseases are being listed for transplantation. Primary cardiomyopathies remain the most common indication. Outcomes following cardiothoracic transplantation have improved steadily in recent times. Donor availability has been helped by increasing public awareness and donation after cardiac death, especially of lungs, increasing the number of patients benefiting from heart and/or lung transplantation. While there are still insufficient donors to meet the current needs, effective devices to bridge patients to transplantation are now widely used. Although the many advances have improved the outlook of transplantation, there are still difficulties that have not changed over time. Nevertheless, heart transplantation in children carries a reasonably good survival rate over the entire spectrum of recipient heart conditions. We discuss the salient features of acceptance of an organ and the technical aspects of both simple and complex heart transplantation in children.
E-records readiness at Karonga District Council in Malawi
Authors: Malanga Donald Flywell , Kamanga Benard CG
Published: March 2018

This study assessed e-records readiness at Karonga District Council (KDC) as one of the local government authorities in Malawi. The study employed a descriptive survey design where a survey questionnaire was used to collect data. Altogether, 56 staff were sampled randomly and purposively. The staff comprised principal officers, records clerks, ICT personnel and other action officers. The study revealed that e-records readiness at KDC was low and evolving as evident by the presence of e-record products and technologies, which were largely inadequate and obsolete. The study also established that there was inadequate and poor adherence to policies, standards and procedures for e-records management practices. Furthermore, responsibilities for e-records management were not clear. There was no established records management programme. Therefore, the study recommends the development of e-records management policy; recruitment of more staff; regular training in e-records products and other emerging technologies; mobilization of more resources required for management of records; and increasing awareness of the role of records management. This should be supported by the top management at the District Council and the Ministry of Local Government at large.
Information-seeking behavior and information providers in a K’iche’ Maya community
Authors: Hunt Steven , Shoaps Robin
Published: March 2018

The study investigated the information-seeking behavior and information provision practices among bilingual (Spanish and K’iche’) students and adults in a Maya town in highland Guatemala. The research combined participant observation ethnography (spanning a total of fifteen months from 2008-17) and interviews with current and retired teachers, Internet café founders and employees, the municipal librarian, students aged 10 and up as well as recent graduates and professionals. Ethnographic insights guided the identification of ‘information,’ the selection of study participants and the nature of questions they were asked. Although a rudimentary library in one form or another has been present since the early 1980s, employees of the library are not, and have never been the primary information providers in Nahualá. Rather, in the past teachers have played that role and many locally important and respected men continue to do so, while currently the employees of one Internet café in particular serve many of the functions characteristically served by librarians in the developed world.
Barriers to acceptance of information and communication technology in agricultural extension in Indonesia
Authors: Purnomo Sutrisno Hadi , Kusnandar
Published: March 2018

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) has become progressively widespread in various sectors including agriculture. This study investigated the barriers to the diffusion of ICT in agricultural extension. Further, the study examined the effect of barriers toward ICT acceptance in agricultural extension. A paper and pencil survey by mail was conducted to collect data from 355 respondents in the Greater Surakarta Region, Indonesia. The study discovered that individual barriers, cultural barriers, government policy barriers, support and technological barriers significantly influenced the acceptance of ICT. In line with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), these variables influenced perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and perceived intention to use of ICT. The findings suggested the methods that could be adopted by governments and non-government bodies to overcome the barriers in ICT implementation.
Leaks-based journalism and media scandals: From official sources to the networked Fourth Estate?
Authors: Sampedro Víctor , López-Ferrández F Javier , Carretero Álvaro
Published: March 2018

This article offers a comparative study of three media scandals arising from two types of leaks: official ones (the Monedero Case and the Pujol Case) and those originating from citizens (the Falciani List). Official leaks are carried out by elites and respond to private/partisan interests. Citizens’ leaks come from anonymous individuals who deliver huge databases to the media for journalistic treatment. Our objective is to analyse the coverage received by both types of leaks in the Spanish press. The results show the use of official leaks as a political weapon in Polarized Pluralism media systems. Scandals based on citizens’ leaks, which refer to transnational problems with greater ramifications, receive less attention. We discuss the extent to which the polarization of conventional political communication has increased and the future of new formats of information based on citizens’ digital participation in an emerging Networked Fourth Estate.
What influences decisions about ongoing stroke rehabilitation for patients with pre-existing dementia or cognitive impairment: a qualitative study?
Authors: Longley Verity , Peters Sarah , Swarbrick Caroline , Bowen Audrey
Published: March 2018

Objective:

To identify factors influencing clinicians decision-making about ongoing stroke rehabilitation for people with pre-existing dementia/cognitive impairment and the impact on clinical practice.

Design:

Qualitative semi-structured interviews with stroke specialist healthcare professionals analysed using thematic analysis.

Setting:

Acute stroke unit, inpatient stroke rehabilitation units, and community stroke services.

Participants:

Twenty three professionals from six multidisciplinary stroke teams involved in decision-making about stroke patients’ rehabilitation potential and clinical pathways.

Results:

Factors influencing decision-making about ongoing rehabilitation were (1) gaining understanding of the individual patient, (2) clinician’s knowledge of dementia/cognitive impairment, (3) predicting rehabilitation potential, (4) organizational constraints, and (5) clinician’s perceptions of their role within the team. Decision-making led to two outcomes, either accommodating the pre-existing dementia/cognitive impairment within delivery of rehabilitation or ending rehabilitation for that patient to allocate limited resources where they were perceived more likely to be effective. Participants felt that patients with pre-existing dementia/cognitive impairment had difficulty demonstrating the required rehabilitation potential within the short timescales available in the current model of service delivery. Participants identified a need for training to improve their knowledge and confidence for decision-making and delivery of rehabilitation for this growing population.

Conclusion:

Clinicians’ decision-making about ongoing rehabilitation for patients with prestroke dementia/cognitive impairments is influenced by gaps in their knowledge and by service constraints. Increased training and more flexible, patient-centred services would enable clinicians to better accommodate these patients in rehabilitation.
Mirtazapine attenuates nicotine-seeking behavior in rats
Authors: Barbosa-Méndez Susana , Salazar-Juárez Alberto
Published: March 2018

Background:

Nicotine is the major psychoactive component of tobacco. A number of pharmacological therapies have been evaluated, with poor results. Given the lack of success of these therapies, several authors have proposed alternative therapeutic strategies. One of these is the use of antidepressant drugs that may have a specific effect on the neural pathways or receptors underlying nicotine addiction. Mirtazapine is an antagonist of α2 NE receptors (noradrenergic receptor), 5-HT2A/C and 5-HT3 receptors and has demonstrated efficacy in reducing behavioral effects induced by drugs of abuse in human and animal models.

Aims:

In this study, we evaluated the effect of chronic dosing of mirtazapine during extinction on the re-acquisition of nicotine-seeking in rodents.

Methods:

We used the nicotine self-administration paradigm to assess the effects of mirtazapine on rats trained to self-administer nicotine under a pharmacological fixed-ratio schedule. Mirtazapine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered during extinction.

Results:

In this work, we found that mirtazapine attenuates the re-acquisition of nicotine-seeking responses.

Conclusions:

These results support the use of mirtazapine in clinical controlled trials as a useful therapy that prolongs and increases rates of preventing relapse into nicotine intake in humans.
The financialization of Danish cooperatives and the debasement of a collective housing good
Authors: Bruun Maja Hojer
Published: March 2018

The article tells the story of Danish cooperative housing’s radical transformation from a collective housing good and commons to a financialized asset during the 2000s when neoliberal housing reforms were introduced and the mortgage finance market was deregulated. Processes of financialization of collectively owned housing have to be understood not only in relation to the dynamics of the surrounding housing market and political-economic changes but also to the communities and social relations that they presuppose and feed off, often in contradictory ways, as people are motivated by both solidarity and private interests. Housing cooperatives have existed as a form of collective housing throughout the 20th century, balanced, on the one hand, between the reproduction of kin, family and local communities and the common good and, on the other, between the market and the reproduction of the base for both families, local communities and the larger public sharing the housing commons. During the 2000s, processes of financialization brought the market and the cooperatives’ base so close together, primarily through new mortgaging opportunities, that families and communities have lost their savings and the base has been undermined, both in a material and an immaterial sense.
Ten-Year Results of Medial Open-Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy and Chondral Resurfacing in Severe Medial Osteoarthritis and Varus Malalignment
Authors: Schuster Philipp , Geßlein Markus , Schlumberger Michael , Mayer Philipp , Mayr Raul , Oremek Damian , Frank Sebastian , Schulz-Jahrsdörfer Martin , Richter Jörg
Published: March 2018

Background:

High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is a widely used treatment option for medial osteoarthritis and varus malalignment, especially in young patients with early osteoarthritis. Limited outcome data are available for this procedure in severe osteoarthritis, and no long-term data are available using newer implants.

Purpose:

To determine survivorship and functional results of medial open-wedge HTO combined with a chondral resurfacing (CR) procedure (abrasion plus microfracture) in severe medial osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 3 and 4) and varus malalignment. Furthermore, factors that potentially influence the outcome were analyzed.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

From September 2005 to December 2008, all cases of HTO (fixation with an angular-stable internal fixator) combined with CR were prospectively surveyed with regard to survival (Kaplan-Meier-method, not requiring arthroplasty) and functional outcome (subjective International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC] score). Cartilage regeneration at the time of hardware removal, tibial bone varus angle (TBVA), pre- and postoperative mechanical medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), and postoperative alignment were analyzed with regard to the result.

Results:

Seventy-nine knees were included (73 patients; mean age 50.9 ± 7.6 years). The follow-up rate was 90% at 10.0 ± 1.2 years (range, 8.3-12.1 years). Pre- and postoperative mechanical tibiofemoral axis were 9.6° ± 3.0° of varus and 0.6° ± 2.7° of valgus, respectively. Survival rate was 81.7% (95% CI, 72.5%-90.9%) at 10 years. Subjective IKDC score significantly improved from 44 ± 11 preoperatively to 70 ± 13 at one, 66 ± 15 at three, 66 ± 15 at five, and 65 ± 17 at ten years ( P < .001 at any point of follow-up). Poor cartilage regeneration and low preoperative IKDC score (<40) were associated with decreased survival. High preoperative TBVA was associated with better and an overcorrected MPTA (>95°) with inferior functional outcome at final follow-up, respectively.

Conclusion:

Even in cases of severe medial osteoarthritis and varus malalignment, HTO in combination with a CR procedure is a good to excellent treatment option. The role of the CR procedure remains unclear. Although good results are obtained with overcorrected MPTA, long-term functional outcome is inferior.
Validation of an MRI Protocol for Routine Quantitative Assessment of Tunnel Position in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Grasso Samuel , Linklater James , Li Qing , Parker David A.
Published: March 2018

Background:

No standardized methodology and objective criteria currently exist to accurately and objectively assess tunnel placement and consequent graft orientation in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) through a single imaging modality. Advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology have enabled the use of volumetric high spatial and contrast resolution proton density–weighted sequencing, which allows precise delineation of graft orientation, tunnel position, and quantitative assessment of tunnel position relationship to adjacent reproducible anatomic landmarks.

Purpose:

To establish an MRI protocol that would provide an accurate alternative to 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) for standardized assessment of bone tunnel placement in ACLR, as a component of assessing ACLR outcomes and to assist in presurgical planning for revision ACLR.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Twenty-four participants diagnosed with a failed ACLR underwent MRI and 3D-CT per the imaging protocols of the Sydney Orthopaedic Research Institute, in which the acquired data were converted to 3D models. The bone tunnels of the previous ACLR were then intraoperatively digitized at the tunnel aperture and along the length of the tunnel (barrel) and used as the reference standard to evaluate the accuracy of high-resolution MRI and 3D-CT. Differences in geometry between the image-based model and the reference point cloud were calculated through point-to-point comparison.

Results:

At the tunnel apertures, no significant differences were detected between the MRI and 3D-CT models versus the reference models for the femur ( P = .9472) and tibia ( P = .5779). Mean ± SD tunnel barrel deviations between MRI and 3D-CT were 0.48 ± 0.28 mm (femur) and 0.46 ± 0.27 mm (tibia). No significant differences were detected between the MRI and 3D-CT models versus the reference models for the femoral ( P = .5730) and tibial ( P = .3002) tunnel barrels.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrated that, in addition to being the optimum modality for assessment of soft tissue injury of the knee, a high-resolution 3D turbo spin echo proton density sequence can provide an accurate assessment of tunnel placement, without the use of ionizing radiation. Therefore, this protocol provides the foundation for an objective standardized platform to quantitatively evaluate the location of ACL bone tunnels and graft orientation for routine postoperative assessment, presurgical planning, and evaluation of clinical outcomes.
Unfolding Sentimental and Behavioral Tendencies of Learners' Concerned Topics From Course Reviews in a MOOC
Authors: Liu Sannyuya , Peng Xian , Cheng Hercy N. H. , Liu Zhi , Sun Jianwen , Yang Chongyang
Published: March 2018

Course reviews, which is designed as an interactive feedback channel in Massive Open Online Courses, has promoted the generation of large-scale text comments. These data, which contain not only learners' concerns, opinions and feelings toward courses, instructors, and platforms but also learners' interactions (e.g., post, reply), are generally subjective and extremely valuable for online instruction. The purpose of this study is to automatically reveal these potential information from 50 online courses by an improved unified topic model Behavior-Sentiment Topic Mixture, which is validated and effective for detecting frequent topics learners discuss most, topics-oriented sentimental tendency as well as how learners interact with these topics. The results show that learners focus more on the topics about course-related content with positive sentiment, as well as the topics about course logistics and video production with negative sentiment. Moreover, the distributions of behaviors associated with these topics have some differences.
Understanding the (Sub)Baccalaureate Origins of Latina/o Doctorates in Education, Humanities, and Social Science Fields
Authors: Fernandez Frank
Published: March 2018

Data from the 1980s suggested that small private colleges were the primary entry point to U.S. higher education for Latinas and Latinos who later earned doctorate degrees. However, I show that in the first decade of the 21st century, large percentages of doctorates originated at public universities and community colleges. I suggest that since the 1980s, we may have witnessed a shift in Latina and Latino higher education trajectories, which fits a larger historical pattern in American society—whereby women, racial, ethnic, and religious groups were once excluded but over time made their way into mainstream public education. At a time when public colleges and universities are responding to budget cuts and policy changes by becoming less accessible to low-income and minority students, policy makers should consider the importance of a well-funded, accessible public sector of higher education for preparing the next generation of Latina and Latino scholars.
Grief and Solidarity Reactions 1 Week After an On-Campus Shooting
Authors: Wayment Heidi A. , Silver Roxane Cohen
Published: March 2018

The impact of interpersonal violence extends beyond the victims and perpetrator(s). The purpose of this research was threefold: (a) to identify whether college students’ very early reactions to an on-campus shooting were associated with well-known predictors of distress, (b) to examine whether grief and distress reactions were distinguishable in the early days following a shooting, and (c) to investigate whether a compassionate self-identity was uniquely associated with grief but not distress. Beginning just 3 days after an early morning shooting that killed one student and injured three others, university students ( N = 408) completed an online questionnaire. Grief, but not distress, was associated with a sense of solidarity with other students and a compassionate self-identity. General distress was associated with prior mental health difficulties and exposure to the shooting. Acute stress was positively associated with being female, having prior mental health difficulties, media exposure, perceived similarity to victims, less victim blame, social support, and social strain. Results suggest that grief reactions that arise in the early days following a collective loss may serve as important psychosocial resources in coping with interpersonal violence.
Insomnia, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms, and Danger: Their Impact on Victims’ Return to Court for Orders of Protection
Authors: Mazzotta Catherine M. , Crean Hugh F. , Pigeon Wilfred R. , Cerulli Catherine
Published: March 2018

The linkages between intimate partner violence (IPV), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and insomnia have been the subject of inquiry. This study is the first to explore the associations between clinical-level insomnia, PTSD symptoms, danger, and victim socio-demographics, and whether IPV victims pursue permanent orders of protection (OPs). Data for this secondary analysis were collected through surveys, interviews, and reviews of court records on 112 women who resided in upstate New York. Women initiated actions to obtain OPs from the Domestic Violence Intensive Intervention Court (DVIIC), from 2007 to 2008. The following factors were analyzed to determine their impact on whether a woman returned to court: (a) age, (b) race, (c) employment status, (d) perceived danger, (e) PTSD symptoms, and (f) clinical-level insomnia. This study finds that the following factors significantly relate to return to court: race, clinical-level insomnia and perceived danger, clinical-level insomnia and PTSD symptoms, and severe danger level. However, in the final multivariate logistic regression, only race emerged as a predictor of whether a woman returned to court. Specifically, women of color were a third less likely to return to court than White women. These results have significant implications for future research and clinical intervention.
Intersections of Partnership and Leadership in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Comparing Three U.S. Regions
Authors: Harper-Anderson Elsie
Published: March 2018

Entrepreneurial ecosystems have become a focal point for regional innovation and growth. Much of the scholarship on ecosystems has focused on identifying key components and understanding factors influencing the entrepreneurial process. While scholars have acknowledged the importance of connection as the means through which information, knowledge, and resources are shared, most of the discussion has focused on entrepreneurs as the unit of analysis with limited attention to connections between entrepreneurial support organizations. This comparative analysis examines partnership and leadership among entrepreneurial support organizations in Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Richmond. The author argues that differences in partnership practices across the cases are in part a function of the unique leadership models shaping each ecosystem’s cultural and institutional norms. Understanding the role of leadership could be critical for shaping the collaborative environments for which most ecosystem stakeholders are hoping.
Magnetohydrodynamic convection in a porous square cavity filled by a nanofluid with viscous dissipation effects
Authors: Chandra Shekar Balla , Haritha C , Kishan Naikoti
Published: March 2018

The present paper investigates the incompressible, laminar, natural convection flow in a porous square cavity filled with a nanofluid in the presence of magnetic field and viscous dissipation. The nanofluid mathematical model proposed by Buongiorno is considered. The left wall of the enclosure is heated, while the right wall is cooled and the bottom and upper walls are adiabatic. The analysis is formulated in terms of vorticity stream function procedure. The governing equations, which are continuity, momentum, and energy equations, are solved by finite element method based on Galerkin weighted residual approach. The relevant parameters considered for computations are magnetic field, Rayleigh number, thermophoresis, Brownian motion, buoyancy ratio, Lewis number, and Eckert number. The numerical results in terms of streamlines, isotherms, isoconcentrations, the average and local skin friction coefficient and Nusselt numbers are reported for various values of Nt, Nb, Ra, Le, M, and Ec. It is found that the magnetic field, Brownian motion, thermophoretic force, and viscous dissipation show significant effect on the velocity, temperature, and concentration distributions in the cavity.
Maximizing autonomous performance of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle to reduce motion blur in taken images
Authors: Oktay Tugrul , Celik Harun , Turkmen Ilke
Published: March 2018

In this study, reducing motion blur in images taken by our unmanned aerial vehicle is investigated. Since shakes of unmanned aerial vehicle cause motion blur in taken images, autonomous performance of our unmanned aerial vehicle is maximized to prevent it from shakes. In order to maximize autonomous performance of unmanned aerial vehicle (i.e. to reduce motion blur), initially, camera mounted unmanned aerial vehicle dynamics are obtained. Then, optimum location of unmanned aerial vehicle camera is estimated by considering unmanned aerial vehicle dynamics and autopilot parameters. After improving unmanned aerial vehicle by optimum camera location, dynamics and controller parameters, it is called as improved autonomous controlled unmanned aerial vehicle. Also, unmanned aerial vehicle with camera fixed at the closest point to center of gravity is called as standard autonomous controlled unmanned aerial vehicle. Both improved autonomous controlled and standard autonomous controlled unmanned aerial vehicles are performed in real time flights, and approximately same trajectories are tracked. In order to compare performance of improved autonomous controlled and standard autonomous controlled unmanned aerial vehicles in reducing motion blur, a motion blur kernel model which is derived using recorded roll, pitch and yaw angles of unmanned aerial vehicle is improved. Finally, taken images are simulated to examine effect of unmanned aerial vehicle shakes. In comparison with standard autonomous controlled flight, important improvements on reducing motion blur are demonstrated by improved autonomous controlled unmanned aerial vehicle.
Automatic classification of tobacco leaves based on near infrared spectroscopy and nonnegative least squares
Authors: Jianqiang Zhang , Weijuan Liu , Huaihui Zhang , Ying Hou , Panpan Yang , Changyu Li , Yanmei Yang , Ming Li
Published: March 2018

A nonnegative least squares classifier was proposed in this paper to classify near infrared spectral data. The method used near infrared spectral data of training samples to make up a data dictionary of the sparse representation. By adopting the nonnegative least squares sparse coding algorithm, the near infrared spectral data of test samples would be expressed via the sparsest linear combinations of the dictionary. The regression residual of the test sample of each class was computed, and finally it was assigned to the class with the minimum residual. The method was compared with the other classifying approaches, including the well-performing principal component analysis–linear discriminant analysis and principal component analysis–particle swarm optimization–support vector machine. Experimental results showed that the approach was faster and generally achieved a better prediction performance over compared methods. The method can accurately recognize different classes of tobacco leaves and it provides a new technology for quality evaluation of tobacco leaf in its purchasing activities.
Social Media and Terrorism
Authors: Hossain Md Sazzad
Published: March 2018

Terrorism, using the social media, has become one of the most concerning issues across the world. There is interplay between home-grown terrorist groups and international terrorist organisations which is playing the central role in accelerating the situations. Terrorist organisations are using social media platforms for recruiting, training and communicating with their followers, supporters, donors, as it is cheaper, easier, faster and effective method of communication. The members of the terrorist organisations are spreading their ideological thoughts, propaganda and their activities, not only to South Asia but also to the world, using social media platforms. Through qualitative analysing, this article will find out how terrorist groups are using social media platforms, especially in South Asia, threatening the peace and security of the countries. While discussing the present conditions of the South Asian countries, this article emphasises on Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. This article will also explain some policy recommendations that can be very useful for the fight against terrorism in the social media platforms.
A Standardized Education Checklist for Parents of Children Newly Diagnosed With Cancer: A Report From the Children’s Oncology Group
Authors: Rodgers Cheryl , Bertini Vanessa , Conway Mary Ashe , Crosty Ashley , Filice Angela , Herring Ruth Anne , Isbell Julie , Lown, DrPH E. Anne , Miller Kristina , Perry Margaret , Sanborn Paula , Spreen Nicole , Tena Nancy , Winkle Cindi , Darling Joan , Slaven Abigail , Sullivan Jeneane , Tomlinson Kathryn M. , Windt Kate , Hockenberry Marilyn , Landier Wendy
Published: March 2018

Parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer must acquire new knowledge and skills in order to safely care for their child at home. Institutional variation exists in the methods and content used by nurses in providing the initial education. The goal of this project was to develop a checklist, standardized across institutions, to guide nursing education provided to parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer. A team of 21 members (19 nurses and 2 parent advocates) used current hospital educational checklists, expert consensus recommendations, and a series of iterative activities and discussions to develop one standardized checklist. The final checklist specifies primary topics that are essential to teach prior to the initial hospital discharge, secondary topics that should be discussed within the first month after the cancer diagnosis, and tertiary topics that should be discussed prior to completion of therapy. This checklist is designed to guide education and will set the stage for future studies to identify effective teaching strategies that optimize the educational process for parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer.
Impact of Orofacial Dysfunction on the Quality of Life of Adult Patients With Cleft Lip and Palate
Authors: Mariano Natalia Cristina Reinaldo , Sano Mariana Naomi , Curvêllo Victor Prado , de Almeida Ana Lúcia Pompéia Fraga , Neppelenbroek Karin Hermana , Oliveira Thais Marchini , Soares Simone
Published: March 2018

Objective:

This study assessed the prevalence of orofacial dysfunctions (ODs) and quality of life (QoL) in adults with and without a cleft lip and palate.

Design:

Cross sectional.

Setting:

Craniofacial Center, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil.

Methods:

The study was composed of a sample of 120 patients: 60 adults in the cleft lip and palate group (CLPG) and 60 adults in the control group with no craniofacial anomalies. Each patient underwent an interview and clinical examination, using the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S) and the 36-Item Short Form Survey. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test, χ2, and the Spearman correlation coefficients.

Results:

There was a higher prevalence of OD in CLPG ( P < .001) on the NOT-S. The adults in the CLPG had higher QoL in the areas of general health ( P = .003), physical function ( P = .014), social function ( P < .001), and vitality ( P = .006). The CLPG had significant associations between higher OD and lower QoL for general health ( P = .004), emotional role function ( P = .028), and vitality ( P = .05).

Conclusion:

Orofacial dysfunctions were more prevalent in adults with a cleft, negatively impacting their QoL in general health, emotional role function, and vitality. However, adults with a cleft also had significantly higher QoL, reflecting possible resiliency when compared to adults without a cleft.
Orthodontic Treatment of a Kabuki Syndrome Patient
Authors: Cudzilo Dorota , Czochrowska Ewa
Published: March 2018

Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a rare disorder characterized by somatic and psychological disturbances including special face morphology, skeletal anomalies, and other systemic disorders. Because of the diverse clinical manifestation, the management of a patient with KS may involve several medical and dental specialists, including orthodontics. The aim of the article is to present successful orthodontic treatment performed in a 14-year-old boy diagnosed with the KS. Dental relations and smile aesthetics were normalized after orthodontic treatment; however, problems with patient compliance and cooperation and an increased risk of root resorption may influence treatment outcomes. Interdisciplinary cooperation between medical and dental specialists is essential in patients with KS.
A Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Feeding and Growth of Infants With Cleft Lip and/or Palate
Authors: Baylis Adriane L. , Pearson Gregory D. , Hall Courtney , Madhoun Lauren L. , Cummings Caitlin , Neal Nancy , Smith Amanda , Eastman Katherine , Stocker Christina , Kirschner Richard E.
Published: March 2018

Objective:

The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to improve feeding and growth outcomes in infants with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P).

Design:

Institute for Healthcare Improvement quality improvement model.

Setting:

Large pediatric academic medical center in the Midwestern United States.

Participants:

One hundred forty-five infants with nonsyndromic CL/P ages 0 to 12 months.

Interventions:

Key drivers included (1) caregiver education and resources, (2) care coordination and flow, and (3) provider education and training. Interventions were designed around these themes and included targeting improved team communication, increased social work consultations, patient tracking, staff education, improved access to feeding equipment, and the launch of a new cleft palate feeding team.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

The primary outcome measure was the percentage of new patients with CL/P who met criteria for failure to thrive (FTT) per month. The secondary outcome measure was the frequency of hospitalization for infants with CL/P with a primary reason for admission of feeding difficulties or FTT.

Results:

The institutional FTT rate for infants with CL/P decreased from 17% to 7% ( P < .003). The frequency of hospitalization for FTT improved from once every 30 days to once every 118 days.

Conclusions:

Targeted interventions aimed at improving feeding efficiency and effectiveness, as well as changes in care delivery models, can reliably promote improvements in feeding and growth outcomes for infants with CL/P, even with psychosocial risk factors present.
Comparison of fracture behavior of defective armchair and zigzag graphene nanoribbons
Authors: Zhang Ji , Ragab Tarek , Basaran Cemal
Published: March 2018

Molecular dynamics simulations of armchair graphene nanoribbons and zigzag graphene nanoribbons with different sizes were performed at room temperature. Double vacancy defects were introduced in each graphene nanoribbon at its center or at its edge. The effect of defect on the mechanical behavior was studied by comparing the stress–strain response and the fracture toughness of each pair of pristine and defective graphene nanoribbon. Results show that the effect of vacancies in zigzag graphene nanoribbon is more profound than in armchair graphene nanoribbon. Also, the effect of double vacancy defect on the ultimate failure stress is greater in zigzag graphene nanoribbons than in armchair graphene nanoribbon due to bond orientation with respect to loading direction. Strength reduction can be as high as 17.5% in armchair graphene nanoribbon with no significant difference between single and double vacancies, while for zigzag graphene nanoribbon, the strength reduction is up to 30% for single vacancy and 43% for double vacancy defects. It is observed that for zigzag graphene nanoribbon with double vacancy at the edge, the direction of the failure plane is oriented at ±30° with respect to the loading direction while it is always perpendicular to the direction of loading in armchair graphene nanoribbon. Results have been verified through studying the fracture toughness parameters in each case as well.
A Genomically Informed Education System? Challenges for Behavioral Genetics
Authors: Sabatello Maya
Published: March 2018

The exponential growth of genetic knowledge and precision medicine research raises hopes for improved prevention, diagnosis, and treatment options for children with behavioral and psychiatric conditions. Although well-intended, this prospect also raise the possibility — and concern — that behavioral, including psychiatric genetic data would be increasingly used — or misused — outside the clinical context, such as educational settings. Indeed, there are ongoing calls to endorse a “personalized education” model that would tailor educational interventions to children's behavioral and psychiatric genetic makeup. This article explores the justifications for, and prospects and pitfalls of such endeavors. It considers the scientific challenges and highlights the ethical, legal, and social issues that will likely arise should behavioral genetic data become available (or be perceived as such) and are routinely incorporated in student education records. These include: when to disclose students' behavioral and psychiatric genetic profile; whose genomic privacy is protected and by whom; and how students' genetic data may affect education-related decisions. I argue that the introduction of behavioral genetics in schools may overshadow the need to address underlying structural and environmental factors that increase the risk for psychiatric conditions of all students, and that the unregulated use of student behavioral genetic profiles may lead to unintended consequences that are detrimental for individuals, families and communities. Relevant stakeholders — from parents and students to health professionals, educators, and policy-makers — ought to consider these issues before we forge ahead with a genomically informed education system.
Psychosocial Determinants of Food Acquisition and Preparation in Low-Income, Urban African American Households
Authors: Henry JaWanna L. , Trude Angela C. B. , Surkan Pamela J. , Anderson Steeves Elizabeth , Hopkins Laura C. , Gittelsohn Joel
Published: March 2018

Background. Psychosocial factors are important determinants of health behaviors and diet-related outcomes, yet relatively little work has explored their relation to food-purchasing and preparation behaviors in low-income populations. Aim. To evaluate the psychosocial factors associated with food-related behaviors. Methods. Cross-sectional data collected from 465 low-income African American adult caregivers in the baseline evaluation of the B’more Healthy Communities for Kids obesity prevention trial. Questionnaires were used to assess household sociodemographic characteristics, food sources frequently used, and food preparation and food acquisition behaviors. Multiple linear regression models explored the associations between caregiver psychosocial variables and food-related behaviors, controlling for caregivers’ age, sex, household income, household size, and food assistance participation. Results. Caregivers purchased prepared food at carry-outs on average 3.8 times (standard deviation [ SD] = 4.6) within 30 days. Less healthy foods were acquired 2 times more frequently than healthier foods ( p < .001). Higher food-related behavioral intention and self-efficacy scores were positively associated with healthier food acquisition (β = 0.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.09, 1.4]; β = 0.04; 95% CI [0.02, 0.06]) and negatively associated with frequency of purchasing at prepared food sources (β = −0.4; 95% CI [−0.6, −0.2]; β = −0.5; 95% CI [−0.7, −0.3]), respectively. Higher nutrition knowledge was associated with lower frequency of purchasing food at prepared food venues (β = −0.7; 95% CI: [−1.2, −0.2]). Discussion. Our findings indicate a positive association between psychosocial determinants and healthier food acquisition and food preparation behaviors. Conclusion. Interventions that affect psychosocial factors (i.e., food-related behavioral intentions and self-efficacy) may have the potential to increase healthier food preparation and food-purchasing practices among low-income African American families.
A Replication Study of “Openness, Country Size, and Government Size” (Journal of Public Economics 2009)
Authors: Musau Andrew
Published: March 2018

Ram ( Journal of Public Economics, 93, 213-218, 2009) questions the body of influential research suggesting that there is a negative association between country size and government size, and country size and openness, which may account for the positive association between openness and government size. Using data from the Penn World Table (PWT), he shows that while openness is positively related to government size, fixed-effects estimates show little evidence of the aforementioned negative associations. We replicate Ram’s results using his data set and a newer revised version of the same data set and find that the ensuing government size–openness association is dependent on the version of the PWT data and the composition of the sample. In addition, we find some evidence of a negative association between country size and government size in the larger sample, but there remains no clear association between openness and country size.
Location and structure of fibrous sheath formed after placing a tunneled hemodialysis catheter in a large pig model
Authors: Florescu Marius C , Runge Joseph , Flora Maurino , Nio George , Lof John , Stolze Elizabeth , Fry Gretchen , Radio Stanley J , Foster Kirk W
Published: March 2018

Background and objectives:

We evaluated the location and structure of the fibrous sheath formed after the placement of tunneled, cuffed hemodialysis catheters in large animals, 70 kg pigs. We focused on describing the location of the fibrous sheath in relation to the catheter. Its location explains the fibrous sheath’s ability to cause catheter dysfunction by covering the catheter exit ports located at the catheter’s tip.

Design:

We used three animals. Each animal had a tunneled, cuffed, 15-French diameter hemodialysis catheter placed in the external jugular vein, with the tip at the junction of the superior vena cava and the right atrium. Two animals were sacrificed at 5 weeks and one animal at 17 weeks after catheter placement. The catheter and surrounding tissues were removed in one block. The fibrous sheath was dissected and longitudinally cut along the catheter to evaluate its extension in relation to the catheter. Relevant portions of the fibrous sheath were sent for pathology examination.

Results:

The fibrous sheath covered the catheter in its entire length and circumference. It started at the entry site and continued without any interruption along the entire length of the catheter, including the tip. Its average thickness is 1 mm and has an inner cellular/inflammatory layer comprising lymphocytes, plasma cells, neutrophils, macrophages, multinucleated giant cells, and spindled cells and an outer layer comprising a mixture of collagen and fibroblasts.

Conclusion:

Our model showed that the fibrous sheath forms around all catheters and covers them in their entire length and circumference without any gaps.
The forearm basilic vein looped transposition fistula as a tertiary option for upper limb vascular access
Authors: Zielinski Maciej , Inston Nicholas , Krasinski Zbigniew , Gabriel Marcin , Oszkinis Grzegorz
Published: March 2018

Introduction:

The forearm basilic vein can serve as an option for haemodialysis access but may not be possible in cases where the wrist arteries are unsuitable. In this setting, the forearm basilic vein can be used in a looped transposition with a brachial artery anastomosis.

Aims:

The aims of this study were to assess the outcome of forearm basilic vein looped transposition as an option for vascular access.

Material and methods:

Data from January 2007 to December 2010 were prospectively collected and analysed. Outcome measures were operative success, complications, maturation and primary and secondary patency following 5 years of follow-up.

Results:

From a total of 583 patients receiving autologous vascular access for haemodialysis, 24 (4.1%) underwent a forearm basilic vein looped transposition. The median age was 60 years (range, 27–80 years), with a slight male predominance (13 male:11 female). Mean follow-up was 34 months (1–60 months). Two patients died and other three were transplanted with subsequent fistula closure. All procedures were successful (100%); however, maturation failure occurred in one case (4.2%). No serious perioperative complications were observed. In two cases, we observed late false aneurysm formation requiring intervention. Primary patency at 1, 2, 3 and 5 years was the following: 77%, 62%, 21% and 10%, whereas secondary patency was the following: 81%, 71%, 61% and 32%, respectively.

Conclusion:

Autologous forearm basilic vein looped transposition is an effective surgical procedure for the creation of access for haemodialysis. This may be a useful option in patients with compromised peripheral arterial diameter or flow and should be considered in patients with a suitable forearm basilic vein.