bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chondral Injuries and Irreparable Meniscal Tears Among Adolescents With Anterior Cruciate Ligament or Meniscal Tears Are More Common in Patients With Public Insurance
Authors: Williams Ariel A. , Mancini Nickolas S. , Solomito Matthew J. , Nissen Carl W. , Milewski Matthew D.
Published: May 2017

Background:

Access to health care services is a critical component of health care reform and may differ among patients with different types of insurance.

Hypothesis/Purpose:

The purpose was to compare adolescents with private and public insurance undergoing surgery for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and/or meniscal tears. We hypothesized that patients with public insurance would have a delayed presentation from the time of injury and therefore would have a higher incidence of chondral injuries and irreparable meniscal tears and lower preoperative International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores than patients with private insurance.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This was a retrospective study of patients under 21 years of age undergoing ACL reconstruction and/or meniscal repair or debridement from January 2013 to March 2016 at a single pediatric sports medicine center. Patients were identified by a search of Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. A chart review was performed for insurance type; preoperative diagnosis; date of injury, initial office visit, and surgery; preoperative IKDC score; intraoperative findings; and procedures.

Results:

The study group consisted of 119 patients (mean age, 15.0 ± 1.7 years). Forty-one percent of patients had private insurance, while 59% had public insurance. There were 27 patients with isolated meniscal tears, 59 with combined meniscal and ACL tears, and 33 with isolated ACL tears. The mean time from injury to presentation was 56 days (range, 0-457 days) in patients with private insurance and 136 days (range, 0-1120 days) in patients with public insurance ( P = .02). Surgery occurred, on average, 35 days after the initial office visit in both groups. The mean preoperative IKDC score was 53 in both groups. Patients with meniscal tears with public insurance were more likely to require meniscal debridement than patients with private insurance (risk ratio [RR], 2.3; 95% CI, 1.7-3.1; P = .02). Patients with public insurance were more likely to have chondral injuries of grade 2 or higher (RR, 4.4; 95% CI, 3.9-5.0; P = .02).

Conclusion:

In adolescent patients with ACL or meniscal tears, patients with public insurance had a more delayed presentation than those with private insurance. They also tended to have more moderate-to-severe chondral injuries and meniscal tears, if present, that required debridement rather than repair. More rapid access to care might improve the prognosis of young patients with ACL and meniscal injuries with public insurance.
Comparing Opportunity Metrics and Locational Outcomes in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program
Authors: Walter Rebecca J. , Wang Ruoniu , Jones Sarah
Published: May 2017

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) has been criticized for concentrating units in poor minority neighborhoods. This study analyzes the distribution of LIHTC units in San Antonio and assesses the opportunity provision in Texas’s 2016 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). Results indicate that since the incorporation of the opportunity provision in 2009, more tax credits have been allocated to neighborhoods with lower poverty and higher racial diversity. Maximum scoring neighborhoods in the current QAP are located in low-poverty communities that perform above average in socioeconomic conditions, but below average in accessibility and sustainable healthy environments.
The Construction of Maternal Identity Among Nonresidential Mothers in Israel
Authors: Tangir Gali , Cohen Orna , Peled Einat
Published: May 2017

This study examined the construction of the maternal identity among Jewish Israeli women whose children are raised by their father in a sociocultural context that valorizes the maternal role in the lives of women. Interpretive interactionist analysis of in-depth interviews with 13 nonresidential mothers identified the discursive strategies that they used to negotiate a troubled maternal identity due to their nonnormative position. The mothers deflected guilt and responsibility for the fact that they do not live with their children. Further, they exhibited two dynamics of maternal identity construction: internalizing the critical discourse and constructing a nonresidential identity as a “good enough” mother. The findings support the view that hegemonic social discourses affect the construction of maternal identity by nonresidential mothers. At the same time, they are also indicative of the creation of an alternative discourse that portrays a nonresidential maternal identity as positive.
Great Sexpectations: The Impact of Participant Gender, Defendant Desirability, and Date Cost on Attributions of a Date Rape Victim and Defendant
Authors: Lynch Kellie R. , Jewell Jenna A. , Wasarhaley Nesa E. , Golding Jonathan M. , Renzetti Claire M.
Published: May 2017

We investigated the effect of the desirability of the defendant and the cost of a date on how participants assigned blame in a date rape context. Community participants ( N = 211) read one of four date rape trial summaries that differed based on the two manipulated independent variables: the desirability of the defendant (i.e., high vs. low desirability) and the cost of the date (i.e., expensive [US$175] vs. inexpensive [US$30]). Participants then rated the victim and defendant on various attributes related to the trial (credibility, blame, and guilt) and post-date sexual behavior (expectations, want, and deservingness of sex). Overall, men viewed the victim more negatively and the defendant more positively than women. Participants in the high defendant desirability condition also viewed the victim as having higher want of sex following the date and rated the defendant as more credible. With regard to the cost of date manipulation, men viewed the defendant as more credible when a desirable defendant paid for an inexpensive date in comparison with an undesirable defendant. However, when the date was expensive, women viewed the desirable defendant as more credible than the undesirable defendant. Finally, we also found that participants’ perceptions of the victim’s expectations and want for sex and the defendant’s deservingness for sex mediated the effects of participant gender and defendant desirability on victim and defendant blame.
Bio-silicon reinforced siloxane core polyimide green nanocomposite with multifunctional behavior
Authors: Pichaimani Prabunathan , Krishnan Srinivasan , Song Jang-Kun , Muthukaruppan Alagar
Published: May 2017

In this work, a novel polyimide (PI) was prepared using bis(4-aminophenoxy)dimethylsilane and napthyldianhydride and the resulting PI was further reinforced with varying weight percentages (1%, 3%, 5%, and 10 wt%) of amine-functionalized bio-silicon (FSi) derived from rice husk to obtain hybrid nanocomposites. The dielectric, thermal, surface, and ultraviolet (UV) shielding properties of both PI and hybrid PI nanocomposites were thoroughly investigated. It was observed that the reinforced FSi acts as a mini capacitor embedded in the PI packing and contributes to high dielectric constant (5.8) as well as low dielectric loss. Moreover, the distribution of FSi throughout the PI matrix also offers superior hydrophobicity (95.1° in water) and enhanced thermal stability (36% char yield) to those of neat PI. Furthermore, the hybrid nanocomposites possess higher UV shielding behavior in both UV-A (97.2%) and UV-B (95.8%) region than those of neat PI. Based on the experimental findings, it is concluded that the bio-mass-based FSi-reinforced PI nanocomposites can be utilized as printed circuit board material or antistatic coating material with improved performance and enhanced longevity under different environments.
Compound faults detection of the rolling element bearing based on the optimal complex Morlet wavelet filter
Authors: Gu Xiaohui , Yang Shaopu , Liu Yongqiang , Deng Feiyue , Ren Bin
Published: May 2017

Wavelet filter is widely used in extracting fault features embedded in the noisy vibration signal, especially the complex Morlet wavelet. In most occasions, the filter parameters are optimized adaptively with a suitable objective function. And then, with the Hilbert transform demodulation analysis, the single localized fault in rolling element bearings can be detected. To extend it for compound faults detection, a novel index deduced from the different intervals of the prominent bearing fault frequencies and subsequent harmonics in the envelope spectrum is proposed. By maximizing the ratio of correlated kurtosis to kurtosis of the envelope spectrum amplitudes of the filtered signal, the optimal complex Morlet wavelet filters corresponding to the different faults are designed by the particle filtering method, respectively. Two cases of real signals are analyzed to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, which include one case of experiment signal with artificial outer race fault coupled with roller fault, as well as one case of engineering data with outer race fault coupled with inner race fault. Furthermore, some comparisons with a previous method are also conducted. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the method in compound faults diagnosis of the rolling element bearings.
Multiobjective optimization of in situ process parameters in preparation of Al-4.5%Cu–TiC MMC using a grey relation based teaching–learning-based optimization algorithm
Authors: Das Biswajit , Roy Susmita , Rai RN , Saha SC
Published: May 2017

In modern in situ composite fabrication processes, the selection of optimal process parameters is greatly important for the preparation of best quality metal matrix composite. For achieving high-quality composite, an efficient optimization technique is essential. The present study explores the potential of a new robust algorithm named teaching–learning-based optimization algorithm for in situ process parameter optimization problems in fabrication of Al-4.5%Cu–TiC metal matrix composite fabricated by stir casting technique. Optimization process is carried out for optimizing the in situ processing parameters i.e. pouring temperature, stirring speed, reaction time for achieving better mechanical properties, i.e. better microhardness, toughness, and ultimate tensile strength. Taguchi’s L25 orthogonal array design of experiment was used for performing the experiments. Grey relational analysis is used for the conversion of the multiobjective function into a single objective function, which is being used as the objective function in the teaching–learning-based optimization algorithm. Confirmation test results show that the developed teaching–learning-based optimization model is a very efficient and robust approach for engineering materials process parameter optimization problems.
A simple model to estimate yield stress and variation of hardness in railheads
Authors: Kourousis Kyriakos I , Athukoralalage Asitha , De Pellegrin Dennis
Published: May 2017

This technical note presents a macroscopic model capable of estimating the variation of hardness and yield stress at different railhead distances (depths) from the running surface. Published data, including results reported in previous works by the authors, have been utilised to calibrate and test the validity of the model. From this preliminary investigation, it was found that the model can accurately predict the measured hardness and yield stress values. It was also found that the model can represent the variation profile exhibited in the examined railhead material. This model, subject to further validation, has the potential to be used in practical applications.
Osteoporotic fractures in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and end stage renal disease
Authors: Le B , Waller J L , Radhakrishnan R , Oh S J , Kheda M F , Nahman N S , Carbone L
Published: May 2017

Background

The incidence of end stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is rising. However, the relationship between osteoporotic fractures and SLE in the setting of ESRD remains uninvestigated. The purpose of this study was to compare the frequency of incident osteoporotic fractures in patients with ESRD with and without SLE, to identify risk factors for fractures in patients with SLE and ESRD, and to examine the contribution of these fractures to mortality.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study of patients with SLE ( n = 716) and a 5% random sample of controls without SLE ( n = 4176) in the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) from years 2006–2008 enrolled in Medicare Part D.

Results

Fractures occurred in 10.6% ( n = 76) of patients with SLE and ESRD and 12.1% ( n = 507) of patients with ESRD without SLE ( p = 0.24). Older age (adjusted relative risk 1.02, 95% confidence interval 1.01–1.04) was associated with an increased risk for fracture in patients with SLE and ESRD. In multivariable analyses, vertebral and hip fractures more than doubled the risk for mortality.

Conclusions

The frequency of osteoporotic fractures in patients with SLE and ESRD is similar to the general population of patients with ESRD. Vertebral and hip fractures are significant contributors to mortality in patients with SLE and ESRD. Fracture prevention, in particular, for elderly patients with SLE and ESRD, should be considered.

SLE is not an independent risk factor for fractures in patients with ESRD. However, among patients with SLE and ESRD, vertebral and hip fractures are significant contributors to mortality.
Angiotensin type 1 receptor A1166C polymorphism and systemic lupus erythematosus: correlation with cellular immunity and oxidative stress markers
Authors: Baniamerian H , Bahrehmand F , Vaisi-Raygani A , Rahimi Z , Pourmotabbed T
Published: May 2017

Angiotensin II, one of the rennin–angiotensin system components, is important in the cardiovascular hemodynamic and plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular disease in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. The angiotensin II, through interaction with angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AGTR1), promotes proliferation, inflammation and fibrosis. The single nucleotide polymorphism of the AGTR1 (dbSNP: rs5186) gene can be associated with development and progression of SLE disease. The aims of this study were to compare the frequency of AGTR1 rs5186 in SLE patients with healthy individuals and to evaluate possible association between AGTR1 A1166C gene polymorphism and serum level of lipids, neopterin and malondialdehyde in SLE patients from a population of West Iran. One hundred SLE patients and 98 healthy subjects were studied. The AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction– restriction fragment length polymorphism method and the serum lipid profile was obtained by enzymatic method. Neopterin and malondialdehyde were detected using high-performance liquid chromatography. We did not detect significant association between AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism and the risk of SLE. The levels of triglyceride (225 ± 118 mg/dl), neopterin (30 ± 24 nmol/l) and malondialdehyde (25 ± 9.6 nmol/l) in SLE patients were significantly higher than those in control subjects (139 ± 56 mg/dl, p = 0.03, 6.4 ± 2, p = 0.03, 9.4 ± 2.5 nmol/l, p = 0.01, respectively). Individuals with AGTR1 AC + CC genotype had higher levels of total cholesterol and malondialdehyde compared with those with AGTR1 AA genotype. SLE patients with either AGTR1 AA or AGTR1AC + CC genotype had significantly higher malondialdehyde or neopterin levels compared with the corresponding control subjects. In conclusion, although the present study did not find any association between AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism and the risk of SLE, the presence of this polymorphism was associated with higher levels of malondialdehyde and higher concentration of neopterin in patients.
Association of IL-6 -174 G>C polymorphism with the risk of SLE among south Indians: evidence from case–control study and meta-analysis
Authors: Katkam S K , Rajasekhar L , Kumaraswami K , Kutala V K
Published: May 2017

Cytokines play a direct role in disease pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Elevated levels of serum IL-6 are well documented with the disease activity and anti-dsDNA antibodies in SLE. The 5′ promoter region of the IL-6 gene has been shown to play a significant role in the regulation of gene expression. In view of this, the current study aimed to investigate the possible association of 5′ promoter polymorphisms G-597A (rs1800797), G-572C (rs1800796) and G-174C (rs1800795) with the risk of SLE. Analysis of 468 subjects (202 SLE patients and 266 controls) showed a significant association of the -174 G/C variant with the SLE risk in both dominant and recessive model (odds ratio (OR) 3.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18–8.69, P = 0.020 and OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.35–3.02, P = 0.0005), respectively. The ‘G allele of the -174 loci (OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.39–2.78, P = 0.00012) has shown significant distribution between the cases and controls. The haplotype analysis revealed that AGG haplotype carriers are more frequent in cases than controls and found a significant positive association (OR 1.394, 95% CI 1.07–7.12, P = 0.028) with SLE. In addition, we also undertook a meta-analysis on 13 study groups for -174 G/C, comprising a total of 1585 cases and 1690 controls. The pooled OR also suggested a significant association of -174 G/C with SLE (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.22–1.53, P < 0.05). In conclusion, the presence of the G allele at the IL-6 polymorphic promoter loci -174 is a risk factor and might influence SLE disease and pathogenesis. Meta-analysis has also suggested the overall correlation between -174 G/C polymorphism and SLE risk.
Practical criticism: An early experiment in reader response
Authors: West David
Published: May 2017

My article provides historical background to stylisticians’ current interest in empirical approaches to literary response by investigating the practical criticism experiment that IA Richards carried out in the 1920s and that he reported on in Practical Criticism: A Study of Literary Judgment (1929). In literary studies, practical criticism is typically regarded as a method of reading that focuses on the text itself and that isolates the text from its social and historical context. Yet, Richards’ technique of issuing his student audiences with anonymized and unknown poems, and asking them for their written responses (or ‘protocols’), was explicitly part of a psychological experiment and not a model of how we should, or even could, read literature. And he was primarily – if not exclusively – interested in the responses of his readers to the poem and not in the poem itself. I have argued that Richards’ technique of practical criticism was the very first large-scale experiment in psychology conducted to discover how real readers understand, interpret and evaluate literary texts. As such, the experiment anticipated the relatively recent turn among stylisticians towards empirical research, and might still be able to inform that research. In this article, I compare Richards’ experiment with the psychological and aesthetic experiments that had been conducted beforehand. I then describe in detail what Richards actually did in his experiment, and assess the strengths and weaknesses of his methodology. Finally, I assess some of the ways in which Richards’ experiment might inform empirical research in stylistics today.
Difficult poetry processing: Reading times and the narrativity hypothesis
Authors: Castiglione Davide
Published: May 2017

This study presents an experiment that uses reading times as a measure of the processing effort demanded by ‘difficult’ poems, where difficulty is defined as a text-driven response phenomenon associated with resistance to reading fluency. Reading times have been used before to explore the processing of literature, but seldom with the aim of shedding light on difficulty. There is then scope to redress this research gap, also in light of Shklovsky’s claim that the technique of art is ‘to increase the difficulty and length of perception’. In the current experiment, a group of participants read six poems on-screen. The poems are by Mark Strand, Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, Geoffrey Hill, Susan Howe and Jeremy Prynne, and have been selected based on critics’ remarks on their difficulty or lack thereof. An extract from a novel by JG Ballard was also included to find out how its narrativity would compare, in processing terms, to the more elliptical narrativity of Strand’s and Pound’s poems. The time spent on each line was recorded by software E-Prime, commonly used in psycholinguistics. The results indicate that three of these texts – Ballard’s, Strand’s and Pound’s – were read at a much higher speed than non-narrative poems by Stevens, Hill, Prynne and Howe. The proposed explanation was that it is sufficient for readers to recognize traces of a narrative schema to read the text fluently, even if such text is low in coherence. By contrast, when prototypical narrative features cannot be mapped onto a text, the processing effort as measured by reading times remarkably increases. Overall, the results refine our understanding of the relationship between difficulty and the stylistic strategies associated with it.
Reader responses to shifts in point of view: An empirical study
Authors: Cui Yaxiao
Published: May 2017

This paper reports an empirical study that investigates reader responses to a prominent narrative phenomenon in Virginia Woolf’s novels: shifts in point of view. While the frequent viewpoint shifts in Woolf’s novels have been noted by critics and literary linguists, only a limited amount of research has been conducted to examine how ‘ordinary readers’, that is, readers without much literary or linguistic training, respond to this stylistic feature. In order to gain a better understanding of this issue, the current study combines qualitative and quantitative approaches in the investigation. The main experiment material is a passage from To the Lighthouse, in which the narrative viewpoint shifts between two characters. For the purpose of comparison, another three passages containing a consistent narrative point of view were also selected. A re-reading task was set up: in the first reading, participants read for general comprehension, and in the second reading, they were asked to identify whose point(s) of view each passage is narrated from. After assigning narrative point of view to the four passages, participants were instructed to rate each passage between 1 and 6 both in terms of difficulty in comprehension and in terms of difficulty in viewpoint attribution. Results obtained from this study show that a significant number of participants identified shifts in point of view and that this narrative phenomenon tends to require more reading time and processing effort.
Online readers between the camps: A Text World Theory analysis of ethical positioning in We Need to Talk About Kevin
Authors: Nuttall Louise
Published: May 2017

Recent investigations into ethical experiences of fictional narratives have discussed the ‘positions’ that readers adopt in relation to the author, narrator and characters . This article applies Text World Theory as a means of accounting for the ethical experience of Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin. Qualitative analysis of a sample of 150 online reader responses on the reading-based social network Goodreads reveals a range of ethical responses to the novel positioned between two interpretative ‘camps’ and the nature/nurture debate they reflect with regards to the character, Kevin. Drawing from this dataset, I explore how stylistic features of Shriver’s epistolary novel could be seen to influence readers’ ethical positioning in relation to the multiple perspectives presented at different levels of its narrative structure. As a result of the analysis, I propose that an account of ethical experience using Text World Theory may benefit from the concept of ‘construal’ in Langacker’s Cognitive Grammar. By modeling readers’ variable attention to multiple minds, including their own, a cognitive grammatical model of construal may support an understanding of ethical interpretation as an interpersonal experience within particular reading contexts.
Text World Theory and real world readers: From literature to life in a Belfast prison
Authors: Canning Patricia
Published: May 2017

Cognitive stylistics offers a range of frameworks for understanding (amongst other things) what producers of literary texts ‘do’ with language and how they ‘do’ it. Less prevalent, however, is an understanding of the ways in which these same frameworks offer insights into what readers ‘do’ (and how they ‘do’ it). Text World Theory (Werth, 1999; Gavins, 2007; Whiteley, 2011) has proved useful for understanding how and why readers construct mental representations engendered by the act of reading. However, research on readers’ responses to literature has largely focused on an ‘idealised’ reader or an ‘experimental’ subject-reader often derived from within the academy and conducted using contrived or amended literary fiction. Moreover, the format of traditional book groups (participants read texts privately and discuss them at a later date) as well as online community forums such as Goodreads, means that such studies derive data from post-hoc, rather than real-time textual encounters and discussions. The current study is the first of its kind in analysing real-time reading contexts with real readers during a researcher-led literary project (‘read.live.learn’) in Northern Ireland’s only female prison. In doing so, the study is unique in addressing experimental and post hoc bias. Using Text World Theory, the paper considers the personal and social impact of reader engagement in the talk of the participants. As such, it has three interrelated aims: to argue for the social and personal benefits of reading stylistically rich literature in real-time reading groups; to demonstrate the efficacy of stylistics for understanding how those benefits come about, and to demonstrate the inter-disciplinary value of stylistics, particularly its potential for traversing traditional research parameters.
A cluster randomized trial of strategies to increase uptake amongst young women invited for their first cervical screen: The STRATEGIC trial
Authors: Kitchener H , Gittins M , Cruickshank M , Moseley C , Fletcher S , Albrow R , Gray A , Brabin L , Torgerson D , Crosbie EJ , Sargent A , Roberts C
Published: May 2017

Objectives

To measure the feasibility and effectiveness of interventions to increase cervical screening uptake amongst young women.

Methods

A two-phase cluster randomized trial conducted in general practices in the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. In Phase 1, women in practices randomized to intervention due for their first invitation to cervical screening received a pre-invitation leaflet and, separately, access to online booking. In Phase 2, non-attenders at six months were randomized to one of: vaginal self-sample kits sent unrequested or offered; timed appointments; nurse navigator; or the choice between nurse navigator or self-sample kits. Primary outcome was uplift in intervention vs. control practices, at 3 and 12 months post invitation.

Results

Phase 1 randomized 20,879 women. Neither pre-invitation leaflet nor online booking increased screening uptake by three months (18.8% pre-invitation leaflet vs. 19.2% control and 17.8% online booking vs. 17.2% control). Uptake was higher amongst human papillomavirus vaccinees at three months (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.69–2.53, p < 0.001). Phase 2 randomized 10,126 non-attenders, with 32–34 clusters for each intervention and 100 clusters as controls. Sending self-sample kits increased uptake at 12 months (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.20–1.91, p = 0.001), as did timed appointments (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.14–1.74, p = 0.001). The offer of a nurse navigator, a self-sample kits on request, and choice between timed appointments and nurse navigator were ineffective.

Conclusions

Amongst non-attenders, self-sample kits sent and timed appointments achieved an uplift in screening over the short term; longer term impact is less certain. Prior human papillomavirus vaccination was associated with increased screening uptake.
Uninsured Workers Have More Severe Hospitalizations
Authors: Boggess Bethany , Scott Brittany , Pompeii Lisa
Published: May 2017

Texas’ unique elective system of workers’ compensation (WC) coverage is being discussed widely in the United States as a possible model to be adopted by other states. Texas is the only state that does not mandate that employers provide state-certified WC insurance. Oklahoma passed legislation for a similar system in 2013, but it was declared unconstitutional by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2016. This study examined 9523 work-related hospitalizations that occurred in Texas in 2012 using Texas Department of State Health Services data. We sought to examine work-related injury characteristics by insurance source. An unexpected finding was that among those with WC, 44.6% of the hospitalizations were not recorded as work related by hospital staff. These unrecorded cases had 1.9 (1.6–2.2) times higher prevalence of a severe risk of mortality compared to WC cases that were recorded as work related. Uninsured and publicly insured workers also had a higher prevalence of severe mortality risk. The hospital charges for one year were $615.2 million, including at least $102.8 million paid by sources other than WC, and with $29.6 million that was paid for by injured workers or by taxpayers. There is an urgent need for more research to examine how the Texas WC system affects injured workers.
Culturally Responsive Reading Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Kourea Lefki , Gibson Lenwood , Werunga Robai
Published: May 2017

As student populations are becoming more diverse in ability and ethnicity across American classrooms, teachers are faced with instructional challenges in meeting their students’ learning needs. Challenges are heightened for general and special education teachers who teach students with learning disabilities (LD) and have a culturally and linguistically diverse background. This article analyzes three main domains of culturally responsive reading instruction for students with LD: (a) instructional delivery, (b) environmental support, and (c) curriculum context. Specific strategies and teaching tools are described in each domain to assist teachers in making their daily reading instruction more culturally responsive and relevant to the needs of their students.
Extending Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies for Racially, Linguistically, and Ability Diverse Learners
Authors: Thorius Kathleen A. King , Santamaría Graff Cristina
Published: May 2017

This article discusses a research-based reading intervention called peer-assisted learning strategies in reading (PALS) and includes practical suggestions for educators concerned with literacy as a tool to reposition and empower students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities in schools and society. Following a rationale informed by historical oppression related to learners’ race, language, and ability, the article describes PALS methodology along with specific extensions for incorporating students’ lived experiences, considering disability as an important element of student diversity, and focusing on students’ progress and cooperation beyond their reading problems and competition.
Creating Culturally Responsive and Evidence-Based Lessons for Diverse Learners With Disabilities
Authors: Green Ambra L. , Stormont Melissa
Published: May 2017

Students with disabilities or who are at risk for disabilities, and from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds typically receive disproportionately more negative consequences in schools, including office disciplinary referrals and referrals for special education evaluation. In an effort to decrease the overrepresentation of culturally, ethnically, and racially diverse students receiving punitive disciplinary practices and inaccurate referrals for special education services, it is imperative that teachers utilize evidence-based practices and create lessons that are culturally responsive to increase the likelihood that students are engaged in instruction and not in problem behaviors. This article outlines how teachers can develop lessons that implicitly or explicitly focus on culture and incorporate key evidence-based practices for working with challenging behavior. A lesson planning tool is provided to assist teachers in their efforts to be systematic in their incorporation of discussed practices in their instruction.
Gastrointestinal Histoplasmosis: A Case Series
Authors: Sharma Rashi , Lipi Lipika , Gajendra Smeeta , Mohapatra Ishani , Goel Ruchika K. , Duggal Rajan , Mishra Smruti Ranjan , Gautam Dheeraj
Published: May 2017

Histoplasmosis is an invasive mycosis caused by inhalation of the spores of dimorphic fungi Histoplasma capsulatum. The disease manifests in the lung as acute or chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis and in severe cases gets disseminated in multiple organs like skin, adrenal gland, central nervous system, lymph node, liver, spleen, bone marrow, and gastrointestinal tract. It occurs most commonly in immunodeficient patients like HIV-positive patients and transplant recipients, while immunocompetent hosts are affected rarely. In cases of gastrointestinal histoplasmosis, the samples are collected for culture and biopsy should be sent for histopathological examination for definitive diagnosis. We conducted a retrospective study of colonic biopsies performed in the department of gastroenterology in a tertiary care hospital of north India from January 2014 to December 2015. Five cases of colonic histoplasmosis were diagnosed on histopathology out of which 4 patients were from north India while 1 patient was from Myanmar. The patients presented with various complaints, including loose stools, diarrhea, altered bowel habits, and gastrointestinal bleeding. The prognosis is very good after early and aggressive treatment while the disease is fatal if it remains untreated. In our study, 2 patients died within few days of diagnosis due to delay in the diagnosis, dissemination, and associated complications. Other patients were started on amphotericin B deoxycholate and are under follow-up. An early diagnosis of gastrointestinal histoplasmosis is important as appropriate treatment leads to long-term survival while untreated cases are almost fatal.
Radiation-Induced Glandular Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor
Authors: John Ivy , Bartlett David L. , Rao Uma N. M.
Published: May 2017

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are aggressive soft-tissue tumors. They can occur in patients with neurofibromatosis type-1 (NF-1) or as sporadic tumors. Only 10% of MPNSTs are radiation induced. Divergent differentiation in MPNSTs can occur in 15% of cases and may include cartilage, bone, skeletal muscle, blood vessels, and very rarely well-formed glands, the latter typically described in NF-1–associated MPNSTs. We report an exceedingly rare case of radiation induced glandular MPNST arising in a neurofibroma of the femoral nerve in a patient previously irradiated for endometrial carcinoma.
Development and Evaluation of the ADHD Cognitions Scale for Adults
Authors: Knouse Laura E. , Mitchell John T. , Kimbrel Nathan A. , Anastopoulos Arthur D.
Published: May 2017

Objective: The clinical literature on ADHD in adults suggests that “overly positive” or optimistic cognitions may contribute to impairment and failure to use self-regulation skills in this population, yet the research literature on this topic is limited. We developed the ADHD Cognitions Scale (ACS), a brief self-report measure of ADHD-related thoughts, and evaluated its psychometric properties. Method: We collected self-report measures, inculding the ACS, from two large community samples ( Ns = 262, 304). Results: The measure demonstrated a one-factor solution that replicated in the second sample. Evidence of good internal consistency and also convergent and divergent validity was obtained for both samples. Scores on the ACS correlated with functional impairment, time management problems, and avoidant coping strategies. Conclusion: With additional study, the ACS may be useful to identify and track maladaptive ADHD-related cognitions during cognitive-behavioral treatment, and to further study the role of these thoughts in ADHD-related impairment.
Effect of intraoperative positioning on the diameter of the vertebral canal in cats during perineal urethrostomy (cadaveric study)
Authors: Slunsky Pavel , Brunnberg Mathias , Lodersted Shenja , Brunnberg Leo
Published: May 2017

Objectives

The objective of this study was to quantify the changes in the diameter of the vertebral canal in the lumbosacral and sacrococcygeal column (L6–Co2) in cats in dorsal and ventral recumbency, simulating real body positioning during a perineal urethrostomy.

Methods

Twenty-one male feline cadavers were enrolled in the study. All feline cadavers were evaluated by CT. Examinations were performed with the cadaver in a neutral position and dorsal and ventral recumbency. Sagittal vertebral canal diameters (VCDs) were obtained by measuring the distance between the ventral and dorsal aspects of the vertebral canal in the middle of the intervertebral space.

Results

A comparison of the VCDs between L6 and L7, L7 and S1, S3 and Co1 and Co1 and Co2 in neutral position vs dorsal recumbency revealed a reduction of 0.27 mm (14.6%; P <0.001) between S3 and Co1 and 0.26 mm (18.1%; P <0.001) between Co1 and Co2. No differences were seen when comparing L6–L7 and L7–S1. The VCDs were decreased in all segments when comparing neutral with ventral recumbency. This study revealed a reduction of 0.13 mm between L6 and L7 (3.3%; P = 0.003), 0.14 mm between L7 and S1 (4.1%; P = 0.003), 0.61 mm between S3 and Co1 (32.5%; P <0.001) and 0.63 mm between Co1 and Co2 (44.1%; P <0.001). Comparison of the VCD between dorsal and ventral recumbency in L6–L7, L7–S1, S3–Co1 and Co1–Co2 revealed a decrease in the VCDs in ventral recumbency of 0.13 mm (3.3%; P <0.001), 0.12 mm (3.6%; P <0.001), 0.34 mm (21.0%; P <0.001) and 0.37 mm (31.7%; P <0.001), respectively.

Conclusions and relevance

The results provide evidence that, from an anatomical point of view, perineal urethrostomy performed in dorsal recumbency is superior to ventral recumbency, but further clinical studies to verify these findings are necessary.
Free vibration analysis of rotating fiber–metal laminate circular cylindrical shells
Authors: Ghasemi Ahmad Reza , Mohandes Masood
Published: May 2017

In this article, free vibration of rotating fiber–metal laminate thin circular cylindrical shells has been analyzed. Strain–displacement relations have been obtained based on Love’s first approximation shell theory. The variations of frequencies of the fiber–metal laminate cylindrical shell with rotational speeds for different axial and circumferential wave numbers, L/R ratios, metal thicknesses and volume fractions of metal have been presented. Also, free vibrations of the rotating fiber–metal laminate shell have been studied for carbon/epoxy, glass/epoxy and aramid/epoxy composite materials combining thin aluminum layers. The results showed that with increasing rotating speed, the gap between backward and forward waves frequencies increased.
Compression after impact behavior of titanium honeycomb sandwich structures
Authors: Zhao Wei , Xie Zonghong , Li Xiang , Yue Xishan , Sun Junfeng
Published: May 2017

Titanium honeycomb sandwich structures are gradually used in several newly developed aircrafts in China. During the manufacturing process and aircraft service life, low-velocity impacts from foreign objects (typically stones, tools and hails, etc.), would quite likely happen and could not be completely avoided. In order to evaluate the influence of low-velocity impact damage on titanium honeycomb sandwich structures, unidirectional in-plane compression tests on both intact and impact damaged sandwich panels were conducted to obtain their failure modes and compressive failure strength. Test results showed that the low-velocity impact damage could cause the change in failure modes and a 9% to 15% decrease in the compressive failure strength. Different impact energy levels showed a limited influence on the compressive failure strength. Numerical analysis was conducted to study the compression after impact behavior of titanium sandwich panels. Parametric finite element models that contained all the geometric and the structural details of honeycomb core cells, as well as the indentation and the crushed core region, were developed in the analysis. The numerical results successfully exhibited the failure process of the intact and impact damaged titanium sandwich panels subjected to unidirectional in-plane compression, similar to what observed in the tests. The predicted compressive failure strength also agreed very well with the test data.
Improving hydraulic performance and durability of sandwich clay liner using super-absorbent polymer
Authors: Salemi Niloofar , Abtahi Seyed Mehdi , Rowshanzamir Mohammad Ali , Hejazi Seyed Mehdi
Published: May 2017

The hydraulic performance and durability of geosynthetic clay liner containing various amounts of sodium polyacrylate polymer are experimentally studied. Sodium polyacrylate, generally known as a super-absorbent polymer, is a polymeric material with a potential of high water absorbance due to its chemical structure. In this study, sodium polyacrylate powder is used as a partial replacement of bentonite as much as 3%, 5% and 7% by the weight of bentonite. For comparison, the hydraulic performance of geosynthetic clay liner without super-absorbent polymer is also experimented. Atterberg limits, free swell index, hydraulic conductivity, self-healing capacity and wet/dry cycle tests are conducted in order to assess how super-absorbent polymer can affect the performance of geosynthetic clay liners as landfill liners and covers. The results show that the hydraulic conductivity and self-healing capacity of geosynthetic clay liner are relatively enhanced by super-absorbent polymer inclusion. The results of wet/dry cycle test show that using super-absorbent polymer as a partial replacement of bentonite considerably improves the durability of geosynthetic clay liner against wet/dry cycles. Geosynthetic clay liner containing super-absorbent polymer shows a negligible increase in hydraulic conductivity while there is a noticeable increase in hydraulic conductivity of specimen without super-absorbent polymer after 10 cycles of wetting and drying.
An evaluation technique for high-frequency dynamic behavior of a sandwich microcantilever beam
Authors: Kim Yun Young
Published: May 2017

A method was developed to measure the first- and second-order vibration modes in a sandwich microcantilever beam oscillating in the megahertz frequency regime in the present study. Taking advantage of the ultrasonic frequency, a test platform was developed to induce free vibration of the microcantilever using a high-power radio frequency pulser that transmits tone burst signals to a contact transducer, and the resonant frequencies of the microcantilever were measured using a laser-optic interferometer. Results show that the microcantilever’s vibration above 8 MHz can be successfully detected, and its vibration modes were identified through a theoretical study based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory and a numerical analysis using the finite element method. The present study proposes a facile and effective way to actuate a high-speed sandwich microcantilever and detect its high-frequency response so that the technique can be employed to study the characteristics of micro- and nanomechanical sandwich structures and their properties.
An Update on Clinical Burden, Diagnostic Tools, and Therapeutic Options of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Reddy Prakash Narayana , Srirama Krupanidhi , Dirisala Vijaya R
Published: May 2017

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen responsible for a variety of diseases ranging from mild skin and soft tissue infections, food poisoning to highly serious diseases such as osteomyelitis, endocarditis, and toxic shock syndrome. Proper diagnosis of pathogen and virulence factors is important for providing timely intervention in the therapy. Owing to the invasive nature of infections and the limited treatment options due to rampant spread of antibiotic-resistant strains, the trend for development of vaccines and antibody therapy is increasing at rapid rate than development of new antibiotics. In this article, we have discussed elaborately about the host-pathogen interactions, clinical burden due to S aureus infections, status of diagnostic tools, and treatment options in terms of prophylaxis and therapy.
Cognitive behavioral therapy positively affects fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis: Results of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: van den Akker Lizanne E , Beckerman Heleen , Collette Emma H , Twisk Jos WR , Bleijenberg Gijs , Dekker Joost , Knoop Hans , de Groot Vincent ,   TREFAMS-ACE Study Group
Published: May 2017

Background:

Fatigue is a common symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS) and often restricts societal participation. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may alleviate MS-related fatigue, but evidence in literature is inconclusive.

Objective:

To evaluate the effectiveness of CBT to improve MS-related fatigue and participation.

Methods:

In a multi-center, assessor-masked, randomized controlled trial, participants with severe MS-related fatigue were assigned to CBT or control treatment. CBT consisted of 12 individual sessions with a psychologist trained in CBT, the control treatment consisted of three consultations with a MS nurse, both delivered over 16 weeks. Assessments were at baseline, 8, 16 (i.e. post-intervention), 26, and 52 weeks post-baseline. Primary outcomes were the Checklist Individual Strength-fatigue subscale (CIS20r fatigue) and the Impact on Participation and Autonomy questionnaire (IPA). Data were analyzed according to the intention-to-treat principle, using mixed-model analysis.

Results:

Between 2011 and 2014, 91 patients were randomized (CBT: n = 44; control: n = 47). Between-group analysis showed a positive post-intervention effect for CBT on CIS20r fatigue (T16: −6.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) = −10.7; −2.7) points) that diminished during follow-up (T52: 0.5 (95% CI = −3.6; 4.4)). No clinically relevant effects were found on societal participation.

Conclusion:

Severe MS-related fatigue can be reduced effectively with CBT in the short term. More research is needed on how to maintain this effect over the long term.