bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robot Wars: US Empire and geopolitics in the robotic age
Authors: Shaw Ian GR
Published: August 2017

How will the robot age transform warfare? What geopolitical futures are being imagined by the US military? This article constructs a robotic futurology to examine these crucial questions. Its central concern is how robots – driven by leaps in artificial intelligence and swarming – are rewiring the spaces and logics of US empire, warfare, and geopolitics. The article begins by building a more-than-human geopolitics to de-center the role of humans in conflict and foreground a worldly understanding of robots. The article then analyzes the idea of US empire, before speculating upon how and why robots are materializing new forms of proxy war. A three-part examination of the shifting spaces of US empire then follows: (1) Swarm Wars explores the implications of miniaturized drone swarming; (2) Roboworld investigates how robots are changing US military basing strategy and producing new topological spaces of violence; and (3) The Autogenic Battle-Site reveals how autonomous robots will produce emergent, technologically event-ful sites of security and violence – revolutionizing the battlespace. The conclusion reflects on the rise of a robotic US empire and its consequences for democracy.
When Top Management Leadership Matters: Insights From Artistic Interventions
Authors: Berthoin Antal Ariane , Debucquet Gervaise , Frémeaux Sandrine
Published: August 2017

This article addresses how top management leadership behaviors matter in innovative interventions in organizations. A comparison of six cases of artistic interventions in four countries reveals that lack of visible top management support and sense-making orientation during and after the process resulted in little added value for the organization in three cases. Three other cases show various ways in which top management can legitimize such experimentation, from which more positive outcomes flowed at the individual and collective levels. The implications are counterintuitive because top management faces two sets of tensions in innovative processes: presence/absence and providing orientation/being open to learning. The article suggests ways that top managers can address these tensions, including by engaging in constellations of distributed leadership, for which this article proposes a new definition.
The Role of Organizational Control Systems in Employees’ Organizational Trust and Performance Outcomes
Authors: Verburg Robert M. , Nienaber Ann-Marie , Searle Rosalind H. , Weibel Antoinette , Den Hartog Deanne N. , Rupp Deborah E.
Published: August 2017

This study examined how organizational control is related to employees’ organizational trust. We specifically focus on how different forms of control (process, outcome, and normative) relate to employees’ trust in their employing organizations and examine whether such trust in turn relates positively to employee job performance (task performance and organizational citizenship behavior). In addition, and in response to the recommendations of past research, we examined these relationships in a high control and compliance-based cultural context. Using data from 105 employee–supervisor dyads from professional services firms in Singapore, we find support for our hypothesized model. The implications of the results for theory and practice, and directions for future research, are discussed.
A Narrative Engagement Framework to Understand HPV Vaccination Among Latina and Vietnamese Women in a Planned Parenthood Setting
Authors: Hopfer Suellen , Garcia Samantha , Duong Huong T. , Russo Jennefer A. , Tanjasiri Sora P.
Published: August 2017

Disparities in cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination persist among Vietnamese and Latina women. Through a partnership with Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties (PPOSBC) in Southern California, we conducted in-depth interviews with young adult Latina ( n = 24) and Vietnamese ( n = 24) women, and PPOSBC staff ( n = 2). We purposively sampled vaccinated women to elicit HPV vaccine decision narratives to uncover rich data on motivators, cultural values, and implicit vaccine attitudes. Unvaccinated women were interviewed to identify barriers. Women were also asked to discuss their observations of men’s HPV vaccine attitudes. Narrative engagement theory guided the study privileging the meaning women ascribed to their experiences and conversations related to vaccine decision making. Vaccine decision narratives included (a) mother–daughter narratives, (b) practitioner recommendation of HPV vaccination, (c) independence narratives among Vietnamese women, (d) HPV (un)awareness narratives, and (d) school exposure to HPV knowledge. Barriers to vaccinating included trust in partner HPV status, and family silence and stigma about sexual health. Participants conveyed the importance of including messages aimed at reaching men. Practitioners described insurance barriers to offering same day vaccination at PPOSBC health center visits. Narrative communication theory and methodology address health equity by privileging how Vietnamese and Latina women ascribe meaning to their lived experiences and conversations about HPV vaccination. Identifying authentic and relatable vaccine decision narratives will be necessary to effectively engage Vietnamese and Latina women. These findings will guide the process of adapting an existing National Cancer Institute research-tested HPV vaccine intervention.
Effects of thermal plasma surface hardening on wear and damage properties of rail steel
Authors: Xiang Yong , Yu Deping , Cao Xiuquan , Liu Yang , Yao Jin
Published: August 2017

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of thermal plasma surface hardening on wear and damage properties of rail steel. Wear tests of the rail steel treated by thermal plasma jet and untreated one were carried out on a block-on-ring wear test machine. Their corresponding wear and damage properties were contrasted. Results indicate that the microstructure of the heat-affected zone of the rail steel treated by thermal plasma surface hardening was transformed. It mainly consists of lath and acicular martensite and also small amount of sorbite, bainite, and retained austenite. As a result, the thermal plasma surface hardening effectively improves the wear resistance of the rail steel. The main wear mechanism of the treated rail steel is mild plowing wear, while that of the untreated rail steel is a combination of severe plowing wear and adhesion wear. Therefore, it is verified that thermal plasma surface hardening is effective in improving the wear resistance, alleviating the surface damage and thus prolonging the service life of the rail steel.
Cladribine versus fingolimod, natalizumab and interferon β for multiple sclerosis
Authors: Kalincik Tomas , Jokubaitis Vilija , Spelman Tim , Horakova Dana , Havrdova Eva , Trojano Maria , Lechner-Scott Jeannette , Lugaresi Alessandra , Prat Alexandre , Girard Marc , Duquette Pierre , Grammond Pierre , Solaro Claudio , Grand’Maison Francois , Hupperts Raymond , Prevost Julie , Sola Patrizia , Ferraro Diana , Terzi Murat , Butler Ernest , Slee Mark , Kermode Allan , Fabis-Pedrini Marzena , McCombe Pamela , Barnett Michael , Shaw Cameron , Hodgkinson Suzanne , Butzkueven Helmut ,   on behalf of the MSBase Study Group
Published: August 2017

Objective:

This propensity score–matched analysis from MSBase compared the effectiveness of cladribine with interferon β, fingolimod or natalizumab.

Methods:

We identified all patients with relapse-onset multiple sclerosis, exposure to the study therapies and ⩾1-year on-treatment follow-up from MSBase. Three pairwise propensity score–matched analyses compared treatment outcomes over 1 year. The outcomes were hazards of first relapse, disability accumulation and disability improvement events. Sensitivity analyses were completed.

Results:

The cohorts consisted of 37 (cladribine), 1940 (interferon), 1892 (fingolimod) and 1410 patients (natalizumab). The probability of experiencing a relapse on cladribine was lower than on interferon ( p = 0.05), similar to fingolimod ( p = 0.31) and higher than on natalizumab ( p = 0.042). The probability of disability accumulation on cladribine was similar to interferon ( p = 0.37) and fingolimod ( p = 0.089) but greater than natalizumab ( p = 0.021). The probability of disability improvement was higher on cladribine than interferon ( p = 0.00017), fingolimod ( p = 0.0025) or natalizumab ( p = 0.00099). Sensitivity analyses largely confirmed the above results.

Conclusion:

Cladribine is an effective therapy for relapse-onset multiple sclerosis. Its effect on relapses is comparable to fingolimod and its effect on disability accrual is comparable to interferon β and fingolimod. Cladribine may potentially associate with superior recovery from disability relative to interferon, fingolimod and natalizumab.
Natalizumab during pregnancy and lactation
Authors: Proschmann Undine , Thomas Katja , Thiel Sandra , Hellwig Kerstin , Ziemssen Tjalf
Published: August 2017

Background:

Managing medication during pregnancy and lactation in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients needs to balance potential risks to the newborn with the substantial risks of ongoing disease activity.

Objective:

To evaluate the potential transfer of natalizumab (NAT) into breast milk and into the serum of newborn babies in women who continued NAT treatment during pregnancy and lactation.

Methods:

Serum samples of 11 mother–infant pairs and mother milk samples of a further 4 women were analyzed for free NAT using a HL60 cell-based fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) assay. Two mother–baby pairs were analyzed for cell-bound NAT, very-late-antigen (VLA)-4 expression, and saturation with NAT on immune cells by FACS analysis.

Results:

In the majority of the mother–infant serum pairs (6/11) and in all breast milk samples, free NAT was detectable. Cell-bound NAT was measurable in both mother–baby pairs with significant higher levels in babies. VLA-4 expression seems to be higher in newborns. Saturation with NAT was comparable between newborns and mothers.

Conclusion:

NAT can pass placental barrier before delivery and into breast milk. Measurable NAT on neonatal lymphocytes may have functional impact. Further investigations are needed to clarify safety and risk of NAT exposure during pregnancy and lactation.
Improved vehicle interior structure-borne noise induced by the powertrain using parallel dry friction damper
Authors: Mohamed Eid Saber , Abouel-Seoud Shawki , Eltantawie Manar , Mohamded Abdelfattah , Salah Mohamed
Published: August 2017

Because of the higher requirements for vehicle comfort and people’s increasing ecological consciousness, research on the interior noise in a vehicle has received wide attention, among which structure-borne noise is hard to diagnose. To solve the problem, the transfer path analysis method of powertrain structure-borne noise has been systematically analyzed. By introduction of the powertrain source-path-receiver model, this method enables the researchers to estimate and study the noise, vibration, and harshness transfer functions and their operational forces. The aim is to further improve noise, vibration, and harshness with minimal negative impact on other vehicle attributes, such as ride comfort, handling, drivability, durability, etc. In this article, a parallel dry friction damper was added to the vehicle nearside powertrain mount, which is the most significant one to the receiver of passenger vehicle for improving its interior structure-borne noise induced by the engine. The test vehicle was a midsize executive vehicle. Since the structure-borne noise is composed of multiple paths, then the transfer path analysis test of the vehicle was carried out, and the transfer function and operational data at speed range started from 20 to 100 km/h were obtained. On the basis of the transfer path analysis results and the above principle, the friction damper on the body side of the nearside mount is improved by combination of the experimental transfer path analysis and the final measurements. The results indicate that a significant reduction for the A-weighted sound pressure level of the interior noise has been gained when the frictional damper was added to conventional mount.
From ignored to banner story: The role of natural disasters in influencing the newsworthiness of climate change in the Philippines
Authors: Comfort Suzannah Evans
Published: August 2017

The hierarchy of influences model has been used to examine sociological influences on journalistic output originating from both inside and outside the newsroom. While providing useful snapshots of journalistic practice, studies using the hierarchical model have rarely accounted for changes in newsgathering over time. This study examines the emergence of climate journalism in the Philippines, one of the most vulnerable nations to the effects of climate change. Drawing on interviews with Filipino journalists, it finds that journalists struggled to place climate-related stories until after extreme weather events, particularly Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. News articles about climate change continued to grow in the following years, suggesting that a fundamental shift in the newsworthiness of climate change took place.
Gender, class and altered soundscapes: Following the implementation of a robotic welding system
Authors: Olofsson Jennie
Published: August 2017

This paper explores some of the ways in which gender and class emerge in relation to the altered soundscape that follows technological change. As such, it takes seriously not only practices of noisemaking and disruptive sounds, but also the implication of silence and different modes of listening. The findings call for an enhanced understanding of the ephemeral qualities of sound, as well as the subsequent listening practices, and how these factors contribute, both to enforce and challenge the ways in which gender and class are enacted. This paper also adds to the discipline of ethnography, the importance for an ethnographer of acknowledging production of sound as well as subsequent listening practices as part of meaning-making practices.
Comparing Long-Term Placement Outcomes of Residential and Family Foster Care: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Li Dongdong , Chng Grace S. , Chu Chi Meng
Published: August 2017

This study presents findings from three separate meta-analyses investigating differences between children placed in residential care and in family foster care with regard to three outcomes: internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and perception of care. Based on publications from the last 20 years, a total of 23 studies were included. The total sample consisted of 13,630 children in care, with 7,469 from foster care and 6,161 from residential care. The results from this study indicated that children in foster care had consistently better experiences and less problems across the three outcomes as compared to children in residential care. Analyses did not reveal evidence of publication bias, and sensitivity analyses also suggested that results were not influenced by individual studies. Additionally, moderation analyses revealed that the differences between foster and residential care could vary depending on certain factors such as the publication year, the gross domestic product of the country, and the length of care. The implications of differences in outcomes between the two placements are discussed.
Near-Infrared Intraoperative Imaging Can Successfully Identify Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy
Authors: Predina Jarrod D. , Newton Andrew , Kennedy Greg , Lee M. Kenneth , Singhal Sunil
Published: August 2017

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a deadly disease. Complete surgical resection provides patients with the best opportunity for long-term survival. Unfortunately, identification of disease during resection can be challenging. In this report, we describe successful intraoperative utilization of the near-infrared imaging agent, indocyanine green, to help the surgeon identify malignant disease in a patient with malignant pleural mesothelioma who had previously received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This technology may ultimately enhance the thoracic surgeon’s ability to identify small disease deposits at the time of resection.
Transformative Learning in Medical Education
Authors: Greenhill Jenenne , Richards Janet Noreen , Mahoney Sarah , Campbell Narelle , Walters Lucie
Published: August 2017

This longitudinal study followed the clinical learning journey of 20 medical students over 4 years, from the beginning of their clinical immersion, through one of the three different clinical placement models: block rotation, longitudinal integrated clerkship, or community- and hospital-integrated learning, and then into Year 4 and the intern year postgraduation. This study explored how these different contexts can influence the process of transformative learning. The results identified six well-defined changes to their ways of seeing the world which participants described as insights shaped by their clinical training. These themes were self-awareness, patient centeredness, systems thinking, self-care, clinical skepticism, and understanding diversity. Further analysis explored how changes in worldview can be instrumental, communicative, and emancipatory. This study demonstrates that context matters and that longitudinal models of clinical education may facilitate emancipatory learning.
A quality-of-service-aware dynamic evolution model for space–ground integrated network
Authors: Yi Zhuo , Du Xuehui , Liao Ying , Cao Lifeng
Published: August 2017

Space–ground integrated network, a strategic, driving, and irreplaceable infrastructure, guarantees the development of economic and national security. However, its natures of limited resources, frequent handovers, and intermittently connected links significantly reduce the quality of service. To address this issue, a quality-of-service-aware dynamic evolution model is proposed based on complex network theory. On one hand, a quality-of-service-aware strategy is adopted in the model. During evolution phases of growth and handovers, links are established or deleted according to the quality-of-service-aware preferential attachment following the rule of better quality of service getting richer and worse quality of service getting poor or to die. On the other hand, dynamic handover of nodes and intermittent connection of links are taken into account and introduced into the model. Meanwhile, node heterogeneity is analyzed and heterogeneous nodes are endowed with discriminate interactions. Theoretical analysis and simulations are utilized to explore the degree distribution and its characteristics. Results reveal that this model is a scale-free model with drift power-law distribution, fat-tail and small-world effect, and drift character of degree distribution results from dynamic handover. Furthermore, this model exerts well fault tolerance and attack resistance compared to signal-strength-based strategy. In addition, node heterogeneity and quality-of-service-aware strategy improve the attack resistance and overall quality of service of space–ground integrated network.
Challenges of having a child with thalassaemia major: a phenomenological study
Authors: Abu Shosha Ghada , Al Kalaldeh Mahmoud
Published: August 2017

Thalassaemia major is a chronic inherited illness that requires everlasting treatment with blood transfusions and chelating drug therapies. Primary caregivers, especially mothers, encounter many challenges when dealing with their affected child. This study aimed to explore challenges facing Jordanian mothers when having a child with thalassaemia major. A descriptive phenomenological approach was used. Mothers were selected purposefully from two major thalassaemia treatment clinics in Jordan. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted and supported by a pre-prepared interview agenda. Colaizzi’s process of descriptive phenomenology was used for analysing interviewees’ transcripts. A total of 23 Jordanian mothers joined the study. A number of formulated meanings, categories and clusters of themes were instrumental in the emergence of three main themes: ‘unprecedented psychosocial distress’, ‘additional financial burden’ and ‘deficiency of knowledge and its sources’. The study revealed that rearing a child with thalassaemia entails suffering from different forms of challenges. Psychological distress, social isolation, worries, and fear of the disease and its future consequences were reported. Mothers showed that the added financial burden resulting from frequent hospitalisation and unpaid leave was a challenge. Deficiency in knowledge, including lack of knowledge about the disease and lack of sources of knowledge, was another challenge. Health education is a highly acknowledged and valued approach to lowering distress and challenges associated with rearing a thalassaemic child.
Stroke while driving: Frequency and association with automobile accidents
Authors: Inamasu Joji , Nakatsukasa Masashi , Tomiyasu Kazuhiro , Mayanagi Keita , Nishimoto Masaaki , Oshima Takeo , Yoshii Masami , Miyatake Satoru , Imai Akira
Published: August 2017

Background

Cardiovascular events while driving have occasionally been reported. In contrast, there have been few studies on stroke while driving.

Aim

The objectives of this study were to (1) report the frequency of stroke while driving and (2) evaluate its association with automobile accidents.

Methods

Clinical data prospectively acquired between January 2011 and December 2016 on 2145 stroke patients (1301 with ischemic stroke, 585 with intracerebral hemorrhage, and 259 with subarachnoid hemorrhage) were reviewed to identify patients who sustained a stroke while driving. The ratio of driving to performing other activities was evaluated for each stroke type. Furthermore, the drivers’ response to stroke was reviewed to understand how automobile accidents occurred.

Results

Among the 2145 patients, 85 (63 ischemic stroke, 20 intracerebral hemorrhage, and 2 subarachnoid hemorrhage) sustained a stroke while driving. The ratio of driving to performing other activities was significantly higher in ischemic stroke (4.8%) than in intracerebral hemorrhage (3.4%) or subarachnoid hemorrhage (0.8%). A majority of drivers either continued driving or pulled over to the roadside after suffering a stroke. However, 14 (16%) patients were involved in automobile accidents. In most patients, an altered mental status due to severe stroke was the presumed cause of the accident.

Conclusion

Stroke occurred while driving in 4.0% of all strokes and accidents occurred in 16% of these instances.
Full-scale testing and modeling of rock-shed shock absorbers under impact loads
Authors: Hsu Shen Hsiang , Maegawa Koji , Hama Akiko
Published: August 2017

Shock absorbers are often situated on top of rock-sheds to mitigate the effects of geological disasters such as rockfalls. In this study, three full-scale impact load tests, with impact energies of approximately 250, 500, and 1000 kJ, investigated a new type of shock absorber comprising expanded polystyrene, steel material, and sand cushion. Comparing the results of the full-scale tests with the results through sand cushion—a common material used for shock absorbers—the maximum impact load in this study was reduced by around 50% than the empirical formula suggested by a rockfall mitigation code. Besides, the study utilized LS-DYNA finite element software to find out the limitation of energy absorption, accuracy of simulation, input parameters for inferential impact formulas of the shock absorber, and to generate a reasonable simulation for use in further research and design of rock-sheds.
When self-tracking enters physical rehabilitation: From ‘pushed’ self-tracking to ongoing affective encounters in arrangements of care
Authors: Schwennesen Nete
Published: August 2017

In this paper, I explore what happens when self-tracking technologies and devices travel into the context of physical rehabilitation and come to constitute what Lupton has called ‘pushed’ self-tracking. By unpacking the processes through which a self-tracking technology is put to use in physical rehabilitation in Denmark, and the kind of relationships patients and healthcare providers establish with and through this technology, I illustrate how a new geography of responsibility is constituted, where responsibility for professional guidance is delegated to the technology and patients are expected to produce and engage in movement data. In contrast to the image of ‘pushing’ as a single activity where one part (technology) has the authority to push the other (patient) to act in certain ways, I argue that ‘the push’ is better described as an ongoing and contingent process that evolves through affective and affecting encounters between human (patients, healthcare providers) and nonhuman (technology, algorithms, software) actors. I illustrate that even though responsibility is delegated to the technology, it is unable to make bodies move by itself. Rather, what determines what ‘it’ becomes and how ‘it’ comes to act is enabled by the constitution of a wider arrangement of care and the arrangements’ ability to affect and respond to particular bodies.
Changes in delta ADC reflect intracranial pressure changes in craniosynostosis
Authors: Takahashi Yuko , Hori Masaaki , Shimoji Kazuaki , Miyajima Masakazu , Akiyama Osamu , Arai Hajime , Aoki Shigeki
Published: August 2017

Background

In patients with craniosynostosis, intracranial pressure (ICP) has been reported to increase even in the absence of overt symptoms. The early and non-invasive detection of intracranial hypertension is important for reducing the risk of abnormal brain development in pediatric patients.

Purpose

To assess whether the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of white matter during the cardiac cycle (ΔADC) would change after surgery to relieve ICP in children with craniosynostosis.

Material and Methods

This prospective study included ten patients diagnosed with craniosynostosis and four normal controls. All ten patients underwent magnetic resonance (MR) examinations before and after surgical treatment. Single-shot diffusion MR imaging (MRI) triggered by an electrocardiogram was performed, with regions of interest (ROIs) placed on frontal white matter and basal ganglia.

Results

In all ten patients, ΔADC values after surgery were higher than those before surgery. This difference was statistically significant (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, P = 0.005).

Conclusion

The change in ΔADC in the frontal white matter before and after surgery in patients with craniosynostosis indicates that it might reflect the change in ICP. Measurements of ΔADC could be a promising tool for non-invasive monitoring of ICP.
Who Works Among Older Black and White, Well-Functioning Adults in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study?
Authors: Rooks Ronica N. , Simonsick Eleanor M. , Schulz Richard , Rubin Susan , Harris Tamara
Published: August 2017

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine social, economic, and health factors related to paid work in well-functioning older adults and if and how these factors vary by race. Method: We used sex-stratified logistic and multinomial logistic regression to examine cross-sectional data in the Health, Aging, and Body Composition cohort study. The sample included 3,075 community-dwelling Black (42%) and White adults aged 70 to 79 at baseline. Results: Multinomial logistic regression analyses show Black men were more likely to work full-time, and Black women were more likely to work part-time. Men with ≥US$50,000 family income were more likely to work full-time. Men with better physical functioning were more likely to work full- and part-time. Women with ≥US$50,000 family income and fewer chronic diseases were more likely to work full-time. Women who were overweight and had fewer chronic diseases were more likely to work part-time. Discussion: Results suggest that well-functioning, older Black adults were more likely to work than their White counterparts, and working relates to better health and higher income, providing support for a productive or successful aging perspective.
Comparative Effectiveness of Up To Three Lines of Chemotherapy Treatment Plans for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Toumazis Iakovos , Kurt Murat , Toumazi Artemis , Karacosta Loukia G. , Kwon Changhyun
Published: August 2017

Modern chemotherapy agents transformed standard care for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) but raised concerns about the financial burden of the disease. We studied comparative effectiveness of treatment plans that involve up to three lines of therapies and impact of treatment sequencing on health and cost outcomes. We employed a Markov model to represent the dynamically changing health status of mCRC patients and used Monte-Carlo simulation to evaluate various treatment plans consistent with existing guidelines. We calibrated our model by a meta-analysis of published data from an extensive list of clinical trials and measured the effectiveness of each plan in terms of cost per quality-adjusted life year. We examined the sensitivity of our model and results with respect to key parameters in two scenarios serving as base case and worst case for patients’ overall and progression-free survivals. The derived efficient frontiers included seven and five treatment plans in base case and worst case, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) ranged between $26,260 and $152,530 when the treatment plans on the efficient frontiers were compared against the least costly efficient plan in the base case, and between $21,256 and $60,040 in the worst case. All efficient plans were expected to lead to fewer than 2.5 adverse effects and on average successive adverse effects were spaced more than 9 weeks apart from each other in the base case. Based on ICER, all efficient treatment plans exhibit at least 87% chance of being efficient. Sensitivity analyses show that the ICERs were most dependent on drug acquisition cost, distributions of progression-free and overall survivals, and health utilities. We conclude that improvements in health outcomes may come at high incremental costs and are highly dependent in the order treatments are administered.
Mission as Kinship on the Margins
Authors: Sedmak Clemens
Published: August 2017

Mission, according to Evangelii gaudium, is characterized by missionary joy, a kind of displacement, the experience of being evangelized by the poor, and the image of the bruised church. Such an understanding invites us to go to the margins and there encounter the Christ. This article develops the concept “kinship on the margins” in conversation with Greg Boyle’s understanding of kinship. It distinguishes four types of kinship (based on blood, milk, water, or wine) and offers a case study of kinship on the margins—the work of Georg Sporschill, SJ, in eastern Europe, which is an expression of a “church of the poor.”
Examining the Concept of Equal Opportunity and the Application of ‘Protective Discrimination’ to ‘Vulnerable Groups’
Authors: Das J. K.
Published: August 2017

The Constitution of India guarantees the right to equality, non-discrimination and equal opportunity in admission and public employment through Articles 14–18, while these provisions also recognize certain vulnerable groups of people empowering the state to make special laws for their upliftment under protective discrimination. In this connection, the debatable issue in the contemporary era is: When are these provisions applied to all classes of people and when are they applied to vulnerable classes of people? Whether the doctrine of protective discrimination has any limitation and, if so, to what extent?
The Neglected Legacy of Dr B. R. Ambedkar on Entrepreneurship
Authors: Indurkar Chakradhar Baldeo
Published: August 2017

Dr B. R. Ambedkar was a man of the millennium with his noble virtues, supreme merits and the great stature of Himalayan heights. He has set multiple ideals, role models and source of inspiration in many ways for millions with his great personality. He was also an ideal as an entrepreneur and the motivational guru for budding entrepreneurs. This article is an attempt to explore the legacy of Ambedkar on entrepreneurship.
Editorial: Searching for definitive evidence of the role of eosinophils in lung disease: are we there yet?
Authors: Lacy Paige
Published: August 2017

Discussion on eosinophils’ role in allergic airway inflammation and pulmonary pathologies related to tissue eosinophilia in the airways, leading to tissue remodeling and fibrosis.
Implementation of Surgeon-Initiated Gene Expression Profile Testing (Oncotype DX) Among Patients With Early-Stage Breast Cancer to Reduce Delays in Chemotherapy Initiation
Authors: Losk Katya , Freedman Rachel A. , Lin Nancy U. , Golshan Mehra , Pochebit Stephen M. , Lester Susan C. , Natsuhara Kelsey , Camuso Kristen , King Tari A. , Bunnell Craig A.
Published: August 2017

Purpose:

Delays to adjuvant chemotherapy initiation in breast cancer may adversely affect clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction. We previously identified an association between genomic testing (Onco type DX) and delayed chemotherapy initiation. We sought to reduce the interval between surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy initiation by developing standardized criteria and workflows for Onco type DX testing.

Methods:

Criteria for surgeon-initiated reflex Onco type DX testing, workflows for communication between surgeons and medical oncologists, and a streamlined process for receiving and processing Onco type DX requests in pathology were established by multidisciplinary consensus. Criteria for surgeon-initiated testing included patients ≤ 65 years old with T1cN0 (grade 2 or 3), T2N0 (grade 1 or 2), or T1/T2N1 (grade 1 or 2) breast cancer on final surgical pathology. Medical oncologists could elect to initiate Onco type testing for cases falling outside the criteria. We then examined 720 consecutive patients with breast cancer who underwent Onco type DX testing postoperatively between January 1, 2014 and November 28, 2016 and measured intervals between date of surgery, Onco type DX order date, result received date, and chemotherapy initiation date (if applicable) before and after intervention implementation.

Results:

The introduction of standardized criteria and workflows reduced time between surgery and Onco type DX ordering, and time from surgery to receipt of result, by 7.3 days ( P < .001) and 6.3 days ( P < .001), respectively. The mean number of days between surgery and initiation of chemotherapy was also reduced by 6.4 days ( P = .004).

Conclusion:

Developing consensus on Onco type DX testing criteria and implementing streamlined workflows has led to clinically significant reductions in wait times to chemotherapy decision making and initiation.
The Accuracy of a Handheld Ultrasound Device for Neuraxial Depth and Landmark Assessment: A Prospective Cohort Trial
Authors: Seligman Katherine M. , Weiniger Carolyn F. , Carvalho Brendan
Published: August 2017

This study investigated the accuracy of a wireless handheld ultrasound with pattern recognition software that recognizes lumbar spine bony landmarks and measures depth to epidural space (Accuro, Rivanna Medical, Charlottesville, VA) (AU). AU measurements to epidural space were compared to Tuohy needle depth to epidural space (depth to loss of resistance at epidural placement). Data from 47 women requesting labor epidural analgesia were analyzed. The mean difference between depth to epidural space measured by AU versus needle depth was −0.61 cm (95% confidence interval, −0.79 to −0.44), with a standard deviation of 0.58 (95% confidence interval, 0.48–0.73). Using the AU-identified insertion point resulted in successful epidural placement at first attempt in 87% of patients, 78% without redirects.
Anesthetic Considerations for Patients Undergoing Bronchial Thermoplasty
Authors: Saran Jagroop S. , Kreso Melissa , Khurana Sandhya , Nead Michael , Larj Michael , Karan Suzanne
Published: August 2017

Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) is a novel, Food and Drug Administration–approved nondrug treatment for patients whose asthma remains uncontrolled despite traditional pharmacotherapy. BT involves application of controlled radiofrequency energy to reduce airway smooth muscle in large- and medium-sized airways. Although BT is often performed under general anesthesia, anesthetic management strategies for BT are poorly described. We describe the anesthetic management of 7 patients who underwent 19 BT treatments in a tertiary academic medical center.
Features of the Construction of the Objective-Spatial Environment in Educational Organizations
Authors: Соловьев Я. , Solov'ev Ya.
Published: August 2017

The article considers the main methodological approaches and principles of constructing the objective-spatial environment; the requirements for its organization are determined. The characteristic of the main components of the objective-spatial environment is given, the creation of which provides the conditions for the implementation of the Federal state educational standard of primary general education of the second generation, various types of material means of instruction are given.
Organization of Exploratory Activity of Pre-School Teachers in the Process of Professional Development
Authors: Никитина Л. , Nikitina L.
Published: August 2017

The article describes the features of organization of work with students of advanced training courses in order to form their readiness to open and use in their practical pedagogical activities various ways of preparing preschool children for school. Particular attention is paid to the involvement of teachers in the preparatory classes in exploratory activities, which allows them to most effectively formulate the preconditions for educational activities among future first-graders, include them in new types of cooperation, preserve and multiply the creative potential of children.
Is it safe to preserve the deltoid when resecting the proximal humerus for a primary malignant bone tumour?
Authors: Cladière-Nassif V. , Bourdet C. , Audard V. , Babinet A. , Anract P. , Biau D.
Published: August 2017

Aims

Resection of the proximal humerus for the primary malignant bone tumour sometimes requires en bloc resection of the deltoid. However, there is no information in the literature which helps a surgeon decide whether to preserve the deltoid or not. The aim of this study was to determine whether retaining the deltoid at the time of resection would increase the rate of local recurrence. We also sought to identify the variables that persuade expert surgeons to choose a deltoid sparing rather than deltoid resecting procedure.

Patients and Methods

We reviewed 45 patients who had undergone resection of a primary malignant tumour of the proximal humerus. There were 29 in the deltoid sparing group and 16 in the deltoid resecting group. Imaging studies were reviewed to assess tumour extension and soft-tissue involvement. The presence of a fat rim separating the tumour from the deltoid on MRI was particularly noted. The cumulative probability of local recurrence was calculated in a competing risk scenario.

Results

There was no significant difference (adjusted p = 0.89) in the cumulative probability of local recurrence between the deltoid sparing (7%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1 to 20) and the deltoid resecting group (26%, 95% CI 8 to 50). Patients were more likely to be selected for a deltoid sparing procedure if they presented with a small tumour (p = 0.0064) with less bone involvement (p = 0.032) and a continuous fat rim on MRI (p = 0.002) and if the axillary nerve could be identified (p = 0.037).

Conclusion

A deltoid sparing procedure can provide good local control after resection of the proximal humerus for a primary malignant bone tumour. A smaller tumour, the presence of a continuous fat rim and the identification of the axillary nerve on pre-operative MRI will persuade surgeons to opt for a deltoid resecting procedure. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:1244–9.
Factors affecting the potential for posterior bony impingement after total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Shoji T. , Yamasaki T. , Izumi S. , Murakami H. , Mifuji K. , Sawa M. , Yasunaga Y. , Adachi N. , Ochi M.
Published: August 2017

Aims

Our aim was to evaluate the radiographic characteristics of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) for the potential of posterior bony impingement using CT simulations.

Patients and Methods

Virtual CT data from 112 patients who underwent THA were analysed. There were 40 men and 72 women. Their mean age was 59.1 years (41 to 76). Associations between radiographic characteristics and posterior bony impingement and the range of external rotation of the hip were evaluated. In addition, we investigated the effects of pelvic tilt and the neck/shaft angle and femoral offset on posterior bony impingement.

Results

The range of external rotation and the ischiofemoral length were significantly lower, while femoral anteversion, the ischial ratio, and ischial angle were significantly higher in patients with posterior bony impingement compared with those who had implant impingement (p <  0.05). The range of external rotation positively correlated with ischiofemoral length (r = 0.49, p < 0.05), and negatively correlated with ischial length (r = -0.49, p < 0.05), ischial ratio (r =- 0.49, p < 0.05) and ischial angle (r = -0.55, p < 0.05). The range of external rotation was lower in patients with posterior pelvic tilt (p < 0.05) and in those with a high offset femoral component (p < 0.05) due to posterior bony impingement.

Conclusion

Posterior bony impingement after THA is more likely in patients with a wider ischium and a narrow ischiofemoral space. A high femoral offset and posterior pelvic tilt are also risk factors for this type of impingement. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:1140–6.
Sliding hip screw versus the Targon PFT nail for trochanteric hip fractures
Authors: Parker M. J. , Cawley S.
Published: August 2017

Aims

To compare the outcomes for trochanteric fractures treated with a sliding hip screw (SHS) or a cephalomedullary nail.

Patients and Methods

A total of 400 patients with a trochanteric hip fracture were randomised to receive a SHS or a cephalomedullary nail (Targon PFT). All surviving patients were followed up to one year from injury. Functional outcome was assessed by a research nurse blinded to the implant used.

Results

Recovery of mobility, as assessed by a mobility scale, was superior for those treated with the intramedullary nail compared with the SHS at eight weeks, three and nine months (p-values between 0.01 and 0.04), the difference at six and 12 months was not statistically significant (p = 0.15 and p = 0.18 respectively). The mean difference was around 0.4 points (0.3 to 0.5) on a nine point scale. Surgical time for the nail was four minutes less than that for the SHS (p < 0.001). Fracture healing complications were similar for the two groups. There were no statistically significant differences between implants for any other recorded outcomes including the need for post-operative blood transfusion, wound healing complications, general medical complications, hospital stay or mortality.

Conclusion

This study confirms the findings of a previous study that both methods of treatment produce similar results, although intramedullary fixation does result in marginally improved regain of mobility in comparison with the SHS. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:1210–15.
Contemporary acetabular fracture surgery
Authors: Rickman M. , Varghese V. D.
Published: August 2017

In the time since Letournel popularised the surgical treatment of acetabular fractures, more than 25 years ago, there have been many changes within the field, related to patients, surgical technique, implants and post-operative care. However, the long-term outcomes appear largely unchanged. Does this represent stasis or have the advances been mitigated by other negative factors? In this article we have attempted to document the recent changes within the surgery of patients with a fracture involving the acetabulum, outline contemporary management, and identify the major problem areas where further research is most needed.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:1125–31
Three-dimensional knee kinematic analysis during treadmill gait
Authors: Mannering N. , Young T. , Spelman T. , Choong P. F.
Published: August 2017

Objectives

Whilst gait speed is variable between healthy and injured adults, the extent to which speed alone alters the 3D in vivo knee kinematics has not been fully described. The purpose of this prospective study was to understand better the spatiotemporal and 3D knee kinematic changes induced by slow compared with normal self-selected walking speeds within young healthy adults.

Methods

A total of 26 men and 25 women (18 to 35 years old) participated in this study. Participants walked on a treadmill with the KneeKG system at a slow imposed speed (2 km/hr) for three trials, then at a self-selected comfortable walking speed for another three trials. Paired t-tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, Mann-Whitney U tests and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients were conducted using Stata/IC 14 to compare kinematics of slow versus self-selected walking speed.

Results

Both cadence and step length were reduced during slow gait compared with normal gait. Slow walking reduced flexion during standing (10.6° compared with 13.7°; p < 0.0001), and flexion range of movement (ROM) (53.1° compared with 57.3°; p < 0.0001). Slow walking also induced less adduction ROM (8.3° compared with 10.0°; p < 0.0001), rotation ROM (11.4° compared with 13.6°; p < 0.0001), and anteroposterior translation ROM (8.5 mm compared with 10.1 mm; p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

The reduced spatiotemporal measures, reduced flexion during stance, and knee ROM in all planes induced by slow walking demonstrate a stiff knee gait, similar to that previously demonstrated in osteoarthritis. Further research is required to determine if these characteristics induced in healthy knees by slow walking provide a valid model of osteoarthritic gait. Cite this article: N. Mannering, T. Young, T. Spelman, P. F. Choong. Three-dimensional knee kinematic analysis during treadmill gait: Slow imposed speed versus normal self-selected speed. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:514–521. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.68.BJR-2016-0296.R1.
‘No Recourse to Public Funds’, insecure immigration status and destitution: the role of social work?
Authors: Farmer Natalia Jane
Published: August 2017

Those with insecure immigration status in the UK maybe subject to a condition known as ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ and risk the prospect of facing destitution within the complex landscape of a discriminatory immigration system. This article examines ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ and reports findings from ethnographic research. It documents tensions between immigration legislation and social services’ statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of destitute ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ families with children.
The media ecology of play: A preliminary probe of childhood play in the digital age
Authors: Albrecht Robert , Tabone Carmine
Published: August 2017

In this article, the authors argue that children today, because of the digital environment in which they are growing up, have much less opportunity to engage in forms of play that require direct face-to-face communication. Building upon some suggestions made by Neil Postman, the authors probe the media ecology of play and how it has been fundamentally reconfigured in the digital age. What does digital technology do and undo to the traditional experience of childhood play? How do traditional oral-based forms of play differ from play that is digitally mediated? What are some of the ideas embedded in the digital mediation of play that need to be teased out and more carefully considered? Finally, reflecting on their own work with children over the past four decades, the authors offer a pragmatic response that both parallels the emphasis placed by John Huizinga in his book Homo Ludens on the primacy of play in the evolution of culture and, at the same time, strongly reflects the view advocated by Neil Postman in his book Teaching As a Conserving Activity of creating a ‘thermostatic mechanism’ that would counterbalance the dominant presence of electronic media in the lives of children.