bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Testimonial Psychotherapy in Immigrant Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence: A Case Series
Authors: Lakshmin Pooja , Slootsky Veronica , Polatin Peter B. , Griffith James L.
Published: May 2018

Testimonial psychotherapy is a therapeutic ritual for facilitating the recovery of survivors of human rights violations that focuses on sharing the trauma narrative. Originally developed in Chile as a method for collecting evidence during legal proceedings, testimonial therapy has been widely applied transculturally as a unique treatment modality for populations that are not amenable to traditional Western psychotherapy. In this case report, we first review the literature on testimonial therapy to this date. We go on to describe how testimonial therapy has been specifically adapted to facilitate recovery for immigrant survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). We present three Latin American women who underwent testimonial psychotherapy while receiving psychiatric treatment at a Northern Virginia community clinic affiliated with the George Washington University. The therapy consisted of guided trauma narrative sessions and a Latin- American Catholic inspired reverential ceremony in a Spanish-speaking women's domestic violence group. In this case series we provide excerpts from the women's testimony and feedback from physicians who observed the ceremony. We found that testimonial psychotherapy was accepted by our three IPV survivors and logistically feasible in a small community clinic. We conceptualize testimonial psychotherapy as a humanistic therapy that focuses on strengthening the person. Our case report suggests testimonial psychotherapy as a useful adjunct to formal psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress symptoms.
(I can’t get no) satisfaction: Happiness and successful societies
Authors: Turner Bryan S.
Published: May 2018

Whereas happiness ( eudaimonia or human flourishing) was fundamental to the classical thought of the Greeks and Romans, as felicitas and beatitudo were to Christianity and a ‘felicific calculus’ to utilitarian philosophers, since Max Weber’s criticism of happiness as a goal of social policy it has largely disappeared from mainstream sociology. The article contrasts Aristotle’s view of eudaimonia from the Nicomachean Ethics, in which a happy/flourishing polis was a necessary condition for happy/flourishing citizens, with contemporary societies in which, while there is much talk about happiness, it is often understood as an individual experience associated with pleasure (and especially with privatized consumption). Happiness studies indicate that happiness cannot be separated from a successful society. Recent data from the United States show how life satisfaction is declining with economic decay. The World Happiness Report of 2015 also helps us to distinguish between societies that recovered quickly from the global financial crisis and those that did not.
Experimental evaluation of ontology-based HIV/AIDS frequently asked question retrieval system
Authors: Ayalew Yirsaw , Moeng Barbara , Mosweunyane Gontlafetse
Published: May 2018

This study presents the results of experimental evaluations of an ontology-based frequently asked question retrieval system in the domain of HIV and AIDS. The main purpose of the system is to provide answers to questions on HIV/AIDS using ontology. To evaluate the effectiveness of the frequently asked question retrieval system, we conducted two experiments. The first experiment focused on the evaluation of the quality of the ontology we developed using the OQuaRE evaluation framework which is based on software quality metrics and metrics designed for ontology quality evaluation. The second experiment focused on evaluating the effectiveness of the ontology in retrieving relevant answers. For this we used an open-source information retrieval platform, Terrier, with retrieval models BM25 and PL2. For the measurement of performance, we used the measures mean average precision, mean reciprocal rank, and precision at 5. The results suggest that frequently asked question retrieval with ontology is more effective than frequently asked question retrieval without ontology in the domain of HIV/AIDS.
The effect and importance of physical activity on behavioural and psychological symptoms in people with dementia: A systematic mixed studies review
Authors: Junge Tina , Ahler Jonas , Knudsen Hans K , Kristensen Hanne K
Published: May 2018

Background

People with dementia may benefit from the effect of physical activity on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia. Qualitative synthesis of the importance of physical activity might complement and help clarify quantitative findings on this topic. The purpose of this systematic mixed studies review was to evaluate findings from both quantitative and qualitative methods about the effect and importance of physical activity on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in people with dementia.

Methods

The systematic literature search was conducted in EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed, PEDro and PsycINFO. Inclusion criteria were: people with a light to moderate degree of dementia, interventions including physical activity and outcomes focusing on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia or quality of life. To assess the methodological quality of the studies, the AMSTAR and GRADE checklists were applied for the quantitative studies and the CASP qualitative checklist for the qualitative studies.

Results

A small reduction in depression level and improved mood were seen in some quantitative studies of multi-component physical activity interventions, including walking. Due to high heterogeneity in the quantitative studies, a single summary of the effect of physical activity on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia should be interpreted with some caution. Across the qualitative studies, the common themes about the importance of physical activity were its ‘socially rewarding’ nature, the ‘benefits of walking outdoors’ and its contribution to ‘maintaining self-hood’.

Conclusion

For people with dementia, there was a small, quantitative effect of multi-component physical activity including walking, on depression level and mood. People with dementia reported the importance of walking outdoors, experiencing the social rewards of physical activity in groups, as well as physical activity were a means toward maintaining self-hood.
The moral limits of autonomous democracy for planning theory: A critique of Purcell
Authors: Bruzzone Victor
Published: May 2018

This article tests the moral limits of autonomous democracy applied to planning theory by offering a critique of the recent work of Mark Purcell. In the first part, I situate Purcell’s view as a pure example of autonomous democracy applied to urban politics and planning. I argue that his view relies on the claim that there is something morally problematic about decision-making in planning that is not exercised autonomously and democratically. Indeed, his approach depends on the claim that autonomous democratic control in planning is morally superior. I consider two arguments for why we might agree. The first is by arguing that indirect centralized (heteronomous) power structures alienate people from their originary state of autonomous control. The second is by arguing that autonomous democracy will lead to the morally best outcomes. Ultimately, I conclude that neither argument works well and that there are not conclusive reasons for thinking that there is something morally better about autonomous democracy as a decision-making structure in planning compared to other forms that don’t rely on direct democratic control.
Higher education after neoliberalism: Student activism as a guiding light
Authors: Cole Rose M , Heinecke Walter F
Published: May 2018

Contemporary college student activism has been particularly visible and effective in the past few years at US institutions of higher education and is projected only to grow in future years. Almost all of these protests and demands, while explicitly linked to social and racial justice, are sites of resistance to the neoliberalization of the academy. These activists are imagining a post-neoliberal society, and are building their demands around these potential new social imaginaries. Based on a discourse analysis of contemporary college student activist demands, to examine more closely the ways that student activists understand, resist, critique, and offer new alternatives to current (neoliberal) structures in higher education, it is suggested that student activists might be one key to understanding what’s next for higher education in a post-neoliberal context. The activists’ critiques of the structure of higher education reveal a sophisticated understanding of the current socio-political, cultural, and economic realities. Their demands show an optimistic, creative imagination that could serve educators well as we grapple with our first steps down a new road. Using their critiques and demands as a jumping-off point, this paper offers the blueprint for a new social imaginary in higher education, one that is focused on community and justice.
Playing with food waste: Experimenting with ethical entanglements in the Anthropocene
Authors: Turner Bethaney
Published: May 2018

Anthropocentric thinking produces fractured ecological perspectives that perpetuate destructive, wasteful behaviours. Recognition of the relational entanglements of humans and more-than-humans, particularly through our everyday visceral encounters with food, may be able to encourage ethical ecological thinking and practices that lay the foundations for more sustainable lifestyles. This paper explores possible ways embodied, convivial and experimental interactions with food waste and its avoidance – along with the various assemblages through which it both acts and is enacted – can support recognition of the entangled relations in which humans and more-than-humans co-become. Excess food, its prevention, reuse and disposal, requires management through intimate human bodily engagements where the very vitality of food is inescapable. The affective force of these necessarily multispecies interactions –which can prompt desires for both attachment and detachment and manifest in a myriad of forms of togetherness – exposes mutual vulnerabilities in living together. Through analysis of ethnographic data gathered from 38 food-producing gardeners and Alternative Food Networks (AFNs) participants in the Australian Capital Territory, this paper maps out how experimental, playful interactions with leftover, surplus or wasted food could contribute to the development of the skills and competencies necessary for adapting to our contingent futures. Encounters with excess food are shown to be capable of assisting in training sensitivities to become attuned and responsive to our more-than-human entanglements and mutual vulnerabilities. This responsive attunement can induce and support ethico-political beliefs and practices that have the potential to disrupt anthropocentric thinking.
The Impossibility of “Freedom as Independence”
Authors: Carter Ian , Shnayderman Ronen
Published: May 2018

Most of the recent work on freedom is concerned with the liberal-republican debate. The latest move in this debate has been made by List and Valentini who argue in favor of a conception of freedom (called “freedom as independence”) that is located midway between the liberal and republican conceptions. In this article, we review some key aspects of the debate that led to List and Valentini’s move and then argue that their midway position is untenable. We first show how the debate has given rise to List and Valentini’s (republican-inspired) view that unfreedom is created not merely by more or less probable constraints (as liberals have claimed) but by the sheer possibility of constraints. We then argue that this position on possible-but-improbable constraints makes unfreedom ubiquitous and that “freedom as independence” is therefore an impossible ideal. In the course of our argument, we rebut some possible rejoinders that appeal to the difference between positive normative and non-normative constraints and to the ways in which “freedom as independence” is an open and versatile concept.
Roots, Routes, and Routers: Communications and Media of Contemporary Social Movements
Authors: Lim Merlyna
Published: May 2018

This monograph is an interdisciplinary analysis of the complexity of communications and media as they are embedded in the making and development of contemporary social movements, in three parts. The first part, Roots, provides a broad context for analyzing communications and media of contemporary social movements by tracing varied and multifaceted roots of the wave of global protests since 2010. The second part, Routes, maps out the routes that social movements take, trace how communications and media are entangled in these routes, and identify various key mechanisms occurring at various junctures of movements’ life cycles. The last part, Routers, explores roles of human and nonhuman, fixed and mobile, traditional and contemporary, digital and analog, permanent and temporal routers in the making and development of social movements. These analyses of roots, routes, and routers are mutually intertwined in broadening and deepening our understanding of the complexity of communications and media in contemporary social movements.
Procedural and clinical outcomes of endovascular recanalization therapy in patients with cancer-related stroke
Authors: Jung Seunguk , Jung Cheolkyu , Hyoung Kim Jae , Se Choi Byung , Jung Bae Yun , Sunwoo Leonard , Geol Woo Ho , Young Chang Jun , Joon Kim Beom , Han Moon-Ku , Bae Hee-Joon
Published: May 2018

Objective

Embolism due to coagulopathy might be the main pathomechanism underlying cancer-related stroke (CRS). CRS patients with a large artery occlusion could be candidates for endovascular recanalization therapy (ERT), although its procedural and clinical outcomes are not well known. This study aimed to investigate the procedural and clinical outcomes of ERT in CRS patients and the characteristics associated with outcomes compared with those of conventional stroke patients.

Methods

A registry of consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients who underwent ERT between January 2011 and October 2015 was retrospectively reviewed. CRS patients are described as those who had (a) cryptogenic stroke with advanced or metastatic cancer; (b) no other possible causes of stroke such as cardioembolism (CE) and large artery atherosclerosis (LAA); and (c) elevated D-dimer levels or diffusion-restricted lesions in multiple vascular territories. We compared procedural and clinical outcomes at discharge among CRS, CE, and LAA patients.

Results

A total of 329 patients were finally enrolled in this study; of these, 19 were CRS patients. The rate of successful recanalization, defined as modified treatment in cerebral infarction grade 2b or 3, was lower in the CRS group than in the LAA and CE groups (63% versus 84% versus 84%, p = .06). CRS subtype was an independent predictor for successful recanalization after ERT in the multivariate analysis (odds ratio, 0.317; 95% confidence interval, 0.116–0.867; p < .001). No significant difference in the rate of good clinical outcomes at discharge was observed among groups.

Conclusions

Although clinical outcomes at discharge were similar for CE and LAA patients, complete recanalization seemed more difficult to achieve in CRS patients than in conventional stroke patients.
Research on welding deformation for box girder of bridge crane based on thermal elasto-plastic theory
Authors: Tong Yifei , Ge Zhihao , Zhuo Xingcheng , Shen Guomin , Li Dongbo , Li Xiangdong
Published: May 2018

Cranes are mechanical devices widely used to hoist materials in engineering. The box girder of a bridge crane is formed by welding. During welding, residual stress and welding deformation will be inevitably generated due to the instantaneous hot temperature, which will affect not only the camber of the crane but also the operational performance of the traveling trolleys. Therefore, understanding the laws governing the welding deformation can lead to better control of camber cutting of the crane web to avoid unnecessary corrections, reasonably control the geometry shape of the girder and ensure the good operational performances of the trolleys. To achieve this goal, thermal elasto-plastic analysis method together with the Abaqus software is used to analyze the welding from the upper and lower covers to the web, from the upper and lower steel angles to the web, and from the web to the ribs. For the welding simulations, Gaussian movable heat sources, with the advantages of low computational cost, fast calculation speed, easy convergence, and a reasonable number of segments, are selected. The simulation results are compared with the experimental results to verify the reliability, accuracy, and efficiency of the numerical welding model. Finally, the simulation results are discussed, and design guidance for the web is proposed.
Simulation analysis and optimization of ride quality of in-wheel motor electric vehicle
Authors: Yang Zheng , Yong Chen , Li Zhao , Kangsheng Yin
Published: May 2018

In order to evaluate the influence of unsprung mass on ride comfort for an in-wheel motor electric vehicle, an improved genetic algorithm based on fitness evaluation was proposed to optimize the suspension system. The simulation model was established in ADAMS software for the target sports utility vehicle with front McPherson and rear unequal length double arm suspension systems. The ride comfort of the target vehicle was analyzed by the developed simulation model. The stiffness and damping of the suspensions were optimized by the root mean square values of the vehicle weighted vertical acceleration and the pitching angle acceleration with the help of the multi-disciplinary and multi-objective optimization software, ISIGHT. The results show that, the proposed multi-objective optimization algorithm is helpful to achieve the ride comfort improvement and the computation time reduction.
Innovation in the imaging of perianal fistula: a step towards personalised medicine
Authors: Sahnan Kapil , Adegbola Samuel O. , Tozer Philip J. , Patel Uday , Ilangovan Rajpandian , Warusavitarne Janindra , Faiz Omar D. , Hart Ailsa L. , Phillips Robin K. S. , Lung Phillip F. C.
Published: May 2018

Background:

Perianal fistula is a topic both hard to understand and to teach. The key to understanding the treatment options and the likely success is deciphering the exact morphology of the tract(s) and the amount of sphincter involved. Our aim was to explore alternative platforms better to understand complex perianal fistulas through three-dimensional (3D) imaging and reconstruction.

Methods:

Digital imaging and communications in medicine images of spectral attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences were imported onto validated open-source segmentation software. A specialist consultant gastrointestinal radiologist performed segmentation of the fistula, internal and external sphincter. Segmented files were exported as stereolithography files. Cura (Ultimaker Cura 3.0.4) was used to prepare the files for printing on an Ultimaker 3 Extended 3D printer. Animations were created in collaboration with Touch Surgery™.

Results:

Three examples of 3D printed models demonstrating complex perianal fistula were created. The anatomical components are displayed in different colours: red: fistula tract; green: external anal sphincter and levator plate; blue: internal anal sphincter and rectum. One of the models was created to be split in half, to display the internal opening and allow complexity in the intersphincteric space to better evaluated. An animation of MRI fistulography of a trans-sphincteric fistula tract with a cephalad extension in the intersphincteric space was also created.

Conclusion:

MRI is the reference standard for assessment of perianal fistula, defining anatomy and guiding surgery. However, communication of findings between radiologist and surgeon remains challenging. Feasibility of 3D reconstructions of complex perianal fistula is realized, with the potential to improve surgical planning, communication with patients, and augment training.
Capabilities of Next-Generation Patch Pump: Improved Precision, Instant Occlusion Detection, and Dual-Hormone Therapy
Authors: Payne Forrest W. , Ledden Bradley , Lamps Greg
Published: May 2018

Insulin pumps allow patients to attain better blood glucose control with more lifestyle flexibility. Their size and cost, however, limit their usefulness. Current CSII pumps are bulky, intrusive, and expensive. SFC Fluidics is addressing these problems by developing a new type of wearable patch pump based on the patented electro-chemiosmotic (ECO) microfluidic pumping technology. This nonmechanical pumping technology allows accurate and precise delivery of very small amounts of insulin and/or other drugs, including concentrated insulin. The pump engine is small and can be made inexpensively from injection molded parts, allowing its use in a disposable or semidisposable pod format. In addition, a single ECO pump engine can be used to deliver two drugs through independent pathways. Other features of SFC Fluidics’ pod include latching safety valves that prevent accidental overdosing of insulin due to pressure changes and an instantaneous occlusion sensor that can immediately detect delivery failure at the first missed dose. These features allow for the development of a series of patch pumps that will offer users the benefit of CSII therapy in a more discreet and reliable patch pump form.
Is it Time for a Reformation of Spiritual Formation?
Authors: Ziegler Geordie W.
Published: May 2018

This essay presents a trinitarian alternative to anthropologically-centered forms of Spiritual formation. As such it argues that what is commonly practiced is a “subjective moral formation,” and what is proposed as a solution or antidote to this is an “objective trinitarian participation.” Christologically anemic versions of anthropologically-centered Spiritual formation are examined and contrasted against an approach grounded in a christological ontology. It contends that the critical question for any Spiritual formation framework, practice, or system must be, “What work does the ascended incarnate Christ do in this description of the Christian life?” It argues that Spiritual formation is most properly understood through the dynamic trinitarian lens of participation in the Son’s relation with the Father through the Spirit. Central to this approach is the restoration of the role of the living, ascended Christ as primary agent in the life of the Christian. The work of Thomas F. Torrance serves as a guide for this latter position and is shown to be a valuable resource in both grounding and furthering the conversation on contemporary ecclesial practices of Spiritual formation.
Cardiovascular Screening Practices and Attitudes From the NCAA Autonomous “Power” 5 Conferences
Authors: Miars Christopher W. , Stamatis Andreas , Morgan Grant B. , Drezner Jonathan A.
Published: May 2018

Background:

The development of athlete-specific electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation standards, along with recent rates of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in athletes being higher than previously estimated, has heightened the debate in the sports medicine community regarding cardiovascular screening of the college athlete, including whether certain high-risk subsets, such as male basketball athletes, should undergo more intensive screening.

Hypothesis:

ECG and/or echocardiography screening in National Collegiate Athletic Association Autonomous 5 Division I (A5DI) schools will be more common than previous reports, and there will be more frequent use of noninvasive cardiac screening for men’s basketball players than the general athlete population.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional, quantitative study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 4.

Methods:

The head team physician for each of the 65 schools in the A5DI conferences was contacted to complete an anonymous survey regarding cardiovascular screening practices at their institution. The survey inquired about current screening protocols, whether SCD epidemiology (SCD-E) was considered in establishing those practices, and whether awareness of present epidemiology altered physician attitudes toward screening.

Results:

A total of 45 of the 65 team physicians (69%) responded. All schools reported performing history and a physical evaluation. While 17 (38%) perform only history and physical, 26 (58%) also include an ECG, and 12 (27%) include echocardiography for all student-athletes. Specifically for male basketball athletes, 10 (22%) schools perform only history and physical, 32 (71%) include ECG, and 20 (45%) include echocardiography. Additionally, 64% reported using SCD-E in developing their screening protocol. Those that had not considered SCD-E indicated they were unlikely to change their screening protocol when presented with current SCD-E.

Conclusion:

The majority (62%) of A5DI institutions include ECG and/or echocardiography as part of their cardiovascular screening of all athletes, increasing to 78% when specifically analyzing male basketball athletes.

Clinical Relevance:

A5DI institutions, presumably with greater resources, have largely implemented more intensive cardiovascular screening than just history and physical for all student-athletes and specifically for men’s basketball—the athlete group at greatest risk.
Is There an Optimal Wound Closure Technique for Major Posterior Spine Surgery? A Systematic Review
Authors: Yilmaz Emre , Blecher Ronen , Moisi Marc , Ankush Chandra , O’Lynnger Thomas M. , Abdul-Jabbar Amir , Dettori Joseph R. , Oskouian Rod J.
Published: May 2018

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Objectives:

In patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion: (1) What are the types and risks of wound complications in major (≥3 levels) surgery, and does the risk vary by number of levels fused? (2) What types of fascial closure result in the fewest wound complications? (3) What subcutaneous closure technique is more effective in preventing wound complications for obese patients (body mass index >30 kg/m2)? (4) What type of skin closure results in the fewest wound complications? (5) What type of dressing results in the fewest wound complications?

Methods:

Electronic databases and reference lists of key articles were searched from January 1, 2000 to December 4, 2017 to identify studies meeting inclusion criteria.

Results:

Six lower quality retrospective studies (evidence level III) met the inclusion criteria. The risk of wound complications in patients with ≥3 level posterior spine fusion ranges from 1.5% to 3.7% depending on the definition of wound complications. Skin closure with sutures resulted in fewer wound infections compared with staples (0.0% vs 8.0%, P = .023). We were unable to demonstrate an association between the number of levels fused and infection risk. Wound infections, primarily superficial, occurred less frequently with Silverlon dressing versus routine dressing.

Conclusions:

We were unable to determine if infection risk changed with increasing number of levels fused. There is a lack of evidence for optimal wound closure technique in posterior spine surgery. Several questions still remain unanswered, such as the optimal fascial closure technique or the optimal subcutaneous closure technique in obese patients.
Epidemiology of War-Related Spinal Cord Injury Among Combatants: A Systematic Review
Authors: Furlan Julio C. , Gulasingam Sivakumar , Craven B. Catharine
Published: May 2018

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Objectives:

War-related spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are commonly more severe and complex than traumatic SCIs among civilians. This systematic review, for the first time, synthesized and critically appraised the literature on the epidemiology of war-related SCIs. This review aimed to identify distinct features from the civilian SCIs that can have an impact on the management of military and civilian SCIs.

Methods:

Medline, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases were searched for articles on epidemiology of war-related SCI among combatants, published from 1946 to December 20, 2017. This review included only original publications on epidemiological aspects of SCIs that occur during an act of war. The STROBE statement was used to examine the quality of the publications.

Results:

The literature search identified 1594 publications, of which 25 articles fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The studies were classified into the following topics: 17 articles reported demographics, level and severity of SCI, mechanism of injury and/or associated bodily injuries; 5 articles reported the incidence of war-related SCI; and 6 articles reported the frequency of SCI among other war-related bodily injuries. Overall, military personnel with war-related SCI were typically young, white men, with predominantly thoracic or lumbar level, complete (American Spinal Injury Association [ASIA] Impairment Scale A) SCI due to gunshot or explosion and often associated with other bodily injuries. Marines appear to be at a greater risk of war-related SCI than the military personal in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Conclusions:

The war-related SCIs among soldiers are distinct from the traumatic SCI in the general population. The majority of the current literature is based on the American experiences in most recent wars.
Adolescent Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction: A Comparison of the Use of Autograft Versus Allograft Hamstring
Authors: Kumar Nikhil , Bastrom Tracey P. , Dennis M. Morgan , Pennock Andrew T. , Edmonds Eric W.
Published: May 2018

Background:

Recurrent patellar instability is commonly treated with medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLR), and the use of allograft in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions has demonstrated inferior outcomes.

Purpose:

To compare the outcomes of allografts versus autografts in adolescent MPFLR for patellar instability.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was completed on patients younger than 18 years who underwent MPFLR for recurrent instability after failed nonoperative management over an 8-year period with a minimum 2-year follow-up. Patients were divided into autograft or allograft hamstring cohorts for comparison. Primary outcome measures were return to normal activity, incidence of redislocation/subluxation, pain, stiffness, other complications, and Kujala scores. Statistical analysis using unpaired t tests was performed, with an alpha value set at P < .05.

Results:

After criteria were applied, 59 adolescents (36 allograft, 23 autograft; 38 girls, 21 boys) with a mean ± SD age of 15.2 ± 1.7 years and a mean follow-up of 4.1 ± 1.9 years (allograft, 3.3 ± 1.1 years; autograft, 5.7 ± 2.1 years; P ≤ .001) were included. Seven patients had concurrent osteotomies (3 allograft, 4 autograft), 11 patients had concurrent loose body removals (5 allograft, 6 autograft), and 9 patients had concurrent lateral release (7 allograft, 2 autograft). Between groups, no significant difference was found in change between preoperative and most recent follow-up (mean, 1.2 ± 2.1) or rate of return to sports (mean, 73.3%). In total, 9 surgeries failed (3 allograft, 6 autograft). For the surviving grafts, a statistical difference in mean Kujala scores at final follow-up was noted (allograft, 92.7; autograft, 97.4; P = .02).

Conclusion:

We identified no significant differences in return to activity, pain score changes, and incidences of failure between patients undergoing MPFLR with allograft versus autograft. Although teenagers with surviving autograft MPFLR reported statistically higher Kujala scores, the mean score difference of 5 points was not clinically significant. It appears that using allograft tendon instead of autograft tissue for MPFLR in this teenage population does not adversely affect long-term outcomes.
Studies on conducting nanocomposite with gallium nitride–doped ferrite, part-II
Authors: Indrakanti Rajani , Rao V Brahmaji , Kiran C Udaya
Published: May 2018

This article (a sequel to part-I that appeared earlier in the same journal) presents synthesis and characterisation details of conducting PPY-nanocomposite obtained from gallium nitride–doped ferrite and polypyrrole. The GaN-doped ferrite is synthesised by sol–gel method. GaNFe2O3f-PPY composites are prepared by impregnation technique. Using the SciFinder software we could not trace any report in the literature for this synthesised Ga(2x + 2)NFe2(49 − x)O3-PPY nanocomposites. The doped nanoferrite is combined with polypyrrole, an intrinsic conducting polymer, in three proportions by percentage (70%:30%), (90%:10%) and (97%:3%), to obtain two series each of three compositions for the conducting PPY-nanocomposite. The synthesised polymer composites are characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. From our studies, it has been observed that the crystallite size of nanocomposites is decreased when compared to crystallite size of GaNFe2O3. The average particle size from histogram is in good agreement with Debye–Scherrer formula calculations. The scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy micrograms reveal that the particles are varying with the values of X and the percentage of PPY. The shapes observed are Globules,Tetrahedron,Nanorods of short and long lengths. The GaNFe2O3-PPY composites’ spectra revealed the shift in the band in comparison with the PPY spectra. Also, the wavelength is decreased, and vibrational frequency is increased.
Bulk synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes by AC arc discharge method
Authors: Singh KK , Chaudhary SK , Venugopal R , Gaurav A
Published: May 2018

This work proposes the production of multi-walled carbon nanotubes by AC arc discharging of spectroscopically pure graphite electrodes of different shapes, that is, movable cylindrical and stationary rectangular electrode by manual metal arc welding setup. Continuous arc was generated by maintaining the gap of about 3 mm between the electrodes which in turn formed the plasma zone. Vaporization of carbon cations followed by sudden quenching paved the way for formation of carbon nantotubes. Nanotubes produced were deposited on the stationary graphite electrode in the form of soot. Further extraction of the nanoparticles from the soot was performed by conducting series of purification processes which will be discussed in upcoming chapters. Morphology and purity of the extracted nanotubes were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Following the characterization process, it was observed that the so-produced nanotubes were of different shapes, that is, carbon cone nanotubes, nanocapsules, nanoparticles and branching type and randomly oriented. The length of the nanotubes varied from 231 to 561 nm, whereas diameter was found to be in the range of 14–55 nm.
Non-local vibration of simply supported nano-beams: Higher-order modes
Authors: Masoumi Mehdi , Masoumi Masoud
Published: May 2018

In this article, the effects of some parameters, including rotary inertia, non-local parameter, and length-to-thickness ratio, on natural frequencies are studied for both classical and non-local theories. For Timoshenko beam, the equations of motion and the boundary conditions are derived from Hamilton’s principle and then non-local constitutive equations of Eringen are employed to altogether formulate the problem. Afterward, obtained governing equations are used to study the free vibrations of a Timoshenko’s simply supported nano-beam. And finally, the effects of above-mentioned parameters on estimated frequencies in classical and non-local elasticity theories are investigated. Results show that the discrepancy between the frequencies of higher-order vibration modes obtained from two theories increases and also significant reductions in natural frequencies occur when the rotary inertia is considered in the computations.
Thermo-mechanical vibration, buckling, and bending of orthotropic graphene sheets based on nonlocal two-variable refined plate theory using finite difference method considering surface energy effects
Authors: Karimi Morteza , Shahidi Ali Reza
Published: May 2018

In this article, the influence of temperature change on the vibration, buckling, and bending of orthotropic graphene sheets embedded in elastic media including surface energy and small-scale effects is investigated. To take into account the small-scale and surface energy effects, the nonlocal constitutive relations of Eringen and surface elasticity theory of Gurtin and Murdoch are used, respectively. Using Hamilton’s principle, the governing equations for bulk and surface of orthotropic nanoplate are derived using two-variable refined plate theory. Finite difference method is used to solve governing equations. The obtained results are verified with Navier’s method and validated results reported in the literature. The results demonstrated that for both isotropic and orthotropic material properties, by increasing the temperature changes, the degree of surface effects on the buckling and vibration of nanoplates could enhance at higher temperatures, while it would diminish at lower temperatures. In addition, the effects of surface and temperature changes on the buckling and vibration for isotropic material property are more noticeable than those of orthotropic. On the contrary, these results are totally reverse for bending problem.
Finite element computation of magnetohydrodynamic nanofluid convection from an oscillating inclined plate with radiative flux, heat source and variable temperature effects
Authors: Thumma Thirupathi , Bég O Anwar , Sheri Siva Reddy
Published: May 2018

This work describes finite element computations for radiative magnetohydrodynamic convective Newtonian nanofluid flow from an oscillating inclined porous plate with variable temperature. Heat source/sink and buoyancy effects are included in the mathematical model. The problem is formulated by employing Tiwari–Das nanofluid model, and two water-based nanofluids, copper and alumina, with spherical shaped metal nanoparticles are considered. The Brinkman and Maxwell–Garnetts models are used for the dynamic viscosity and effective thermal conductivity of the nanofluids, respectively. An algebraic flux model, the Rosseland diffusion approximation, is adopted to simulate thermal radiative flux effects. The dimensionless, coupled governing partial differential equations are numerically solved via the finite element method with weak variational formulation by imposing initial and boundary conditions with a weighted residual scheme. A grid independence study is also conducted. The finite element solutions are reduced to known previous solutions in some limiting cases of this investigation and are found to be in good agreement with published work. This investigation is relevant to electromagnetic nano-material manufacturing processes operating at high temperatures where radiation heat transfer is significant.
Assistive Technology for Students With Visual Impairments: A Resource for Teachers, Parents, and Students
Authors: Bin Tuwaym Sultan Turki , Berry Ann Bassett
Published: May 2018

Assistive technology (AT) for students with visual impairments (VI) is an essential part of their educational program. AT allows students to develop skills, engage in the academic environment, and function independently. Despite the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandate for AT as part of a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), research has found that rural schools use fewer AT devices when compared with urban schools. The extent of AT use is significantly determined by the level of teachers’ training and their familiarity with AT. In this article, the authors present an AT resource they created to provide teachers and parents with current, helpful information on AT for students with VI. The resource details (a) application/devices about which teachers need to know more, (b) the type of VI with which an application/device is most helpful, (c) key features, (d) cost, (e) sources for additional information, (f) product guides and research evaluating the AT, and (g) organizations that provide additional information.
NADPH oxidase activation regulates apoptotic neutrophil clearance by murine macrophages
Authors: Bagaitkar Juhi , Huang Jing , Zeng Melody Yue , Pech Nancy K. , Monlish Darlene A. , Perez-Zapata Lizet J. , Miralda Irina , Schuettpelz Laura G. , Dinauer Mary C.
Published: May 2018

Key Points

Efferocytosis of ACs by inflammatory macrophages activates NADPH oxidase in a CD11b-TLR2/4-MyD88–dependent manner. ROS generated positively regulate acidification and proteolysis in efferosomes, and limit cross-presentation of AC-associated antigens.
GPIbα is required for platelet-mediated hepatic thrombopoietin generation
Authors: Xu Miao , Li June , Neves Miguel Antonio Dias , Zhu Guangheng , Carrim Naadiya , Yu Ruoying , Gupta Sahil , Marshall John , Rotstein Ori , Peng Jun , Hou Ming , Kunishima Shinji , Ware Jerry , Branch Donald R. , Lazarus Alan H. , Ruggeri Zaverio M. , Freedman John , Ni Heyu
Published: May 2018

Key Points

Platelet GPIbα induces hepatic TPO generation and maintains TPO levels in blood. Antiextracellular GPIbα antibodies decrease TPO generation and may affect TPO levels in immune-mediated thrombocytopenias.
Loss of Chromosome 18q11.2-q12.1 Is Predictive for Survival in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated With Bevacizumab
Authors: van Dijk Erik , Biesma Hedde D. , Cordes Martijn , Smeets Dominiek , Neerincx Maarten , Das Sudipto , Eijk Paul P. , Murphy Verena , Barat Anna , Bacon Orna , Prehn Jochen H.M. , Betge Johannes , Gaiser Timo , Fender Bozena , Meijer Gerrit A. , McNamara Deborah A. , Klinger Rut , Koopman Miriam , Ebert Matthias P.A. , Kay Elaine W. , Hennessey Bryan T. , Verheul Henk M.W. , Gallagher William M. , O'Connor Darran P. , Punt Cornelis J.A. , Loupakis Fotios , Lambrechts Diether , Byrne Annette T. , van Grieken Nicole C.T. , Ylstra Bauke
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) have limited benefit from the addition of bevacizumab to standard chemotherapy. However, a subset probably benefits substantially, highlighting an unmet clinical need for a biomarker of response to bevacizumab. Previously, we demonstrated that losses of chromosomes 5q34, 17q12, and 18q11.2-q12.1 had a significant correlation with progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with mCRC treated with bevacizumab in the CAIRO2 clinical trial but not in patients who did not receive bevacizumab in the CAIRO trial. This study was designed to validate these findings.

Materials and Methods

Primary mCRC samples were analyzed from two cohorts of patients who received bevacizumab as first-line treatment; 96 samples from the European multicenter study Angiopredict (APD) and 81 samples from the Italian multicenter study, MOMA. A third cohort of 90 samples from patients with mCRC who did not receive bevacizumab was analyzed. Copy number aberrations of tumor biopsy specimens were measured by shallow whole-genome sequencing and were correlated with PFS, overall survival (OS), and response.

Results

Loss of chromosome 18q11.2-q12.1 was associated with prolonged PFS most significantly in both the cohorts that received bevacizumab (APD: hazard ratio, 0.54; P = .01; PFS difference, 65 days; MOMA: hazard ratio, 0.55; P = .019; PFS difference, 49 days). A similar association was found for OS and overall response rate in these two cohorts, which became significant when combined with the CAIRO2 cohort. Median PFS in the cohort of patients with mCRC who did not receive bevacizumab and in the CAIRO cohort was similar to that of the APD, MOMA, and CAIRO2 patients without an 18q11.2-q12.1 loss.

Conclusion

We conclude that the loss of chromosome 18q11.2-q12.1 is consistently predictive for prolonged PFS in patients receiving bevacizumab. The predictive value of this loss is substantiated by a significant gain in OS and overall response rate.
ACTIVExtend: 24 Months of Alendronate After 18 Months of Abaloparatide or Placebo for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Authors: Bone Henry G , Cosman Felicia , Miller Paul D , Williams Gregory C , Hattersley Gary , Hu Ming-yi , Fitzpatrick Lorraine A , Mitlak Bruce , Papapoulos Socrates , Rizzoli René , Dore Robin K , Bilezikian John P , Saag Kenneth G
Published: May 2018

Purpose

In women with postmenopausal osteoporosis, we investigated the effects of 24 months of treatment with alendronate (ALN) following 18 months of treatment with abaloparatide (ABL) or placebo (PBO).

Methods

Women who completed ABL or PBO treatment in ACTIVE were eligible to receive up to 24 months of ALN. We evaluated the incidence of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures and changes in bone mineral density (BMD) during the entire 43-month period from ACTIVE baseline to the end of ACTIVExtend and for the 24-month extension only.

Results

Five hundred fifty-eight women from ACTIVE’s ABL group and 581 from its PBO group (92% of ABL and PBO completers) were enrolled. During the full 43-month treatment period, 0.9% of evaluable women in the ABL/ALN group experienced a new radiographic vertebral fracture vs 5.6% of women in the PBO/ALN group, an 84% relative risk reduction (RRR, P < 0.001). Kaplan–Meier incidence rates for other reported fracture types were significantly lower for ABL/ALN vs PBO/ALN (all P < 0.05). Gains in BMD achieved during ACTIVE were further increased during ACTIVExtend. For ACTIVExtend only, RRR for vertebral fractures was 87% with ABL/ALN vs PBO/ALN (P = 0.001). Adverse events were similar between groups. A supplemental analysis for regulatory authorities found no hip fractures in the ABL/ALN group vs five in the PBO/ALN group.

Conclusions

Eighteen months of ABL followed by 24 months of ALN reduced the risk of vertebral, nonvertebral, clinical, and major osteoporotic fractures and increased BMD. Sequential ABL followed by ALN appears to be an effective treatment option for postmenopausal women at risk for osteoporosis-related fractures.
The Ondol Problem and the Politics of Forest Conservation in Colonial Korea
Authors: Fedman David
Published: May 2018

This article examines the ondol—the cooking stove–cum–heated floor system conventional to Korean dwellings—as a site of contestation over forest management, fuel consumption, and domestic life in colonial Korea. At once a provider of heat essential to survival in an often frigid peninsula and, in the eyes of colonial officials, ground zero of deforestation, the ondol garnered tremendous interest from an array of reformers determined to improve the Korean home and its hearth. Foresters were but one party to a far-reaching debate (involving architects, doctors, and agronomists) over how best to domesticate heat in the harsh continental climate. By tracing the contours of this debate, this article elucidates the multitude of often-conflicting interests inherent to state-led interventions in household fuel economies: what the author calls the politics of forest conservation in colonial Korea. In focusing on efforts to regulate the quotidian rhythms of energy consumption, it likewise investigates the material underpinnings of everyday life—a topic hitherto overlooked in extant scholarship on forestry and empire alike.