bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Holistic School Quality Measurement and the Future of Accountability: Pilot-Test Results
Authors: Gagnon Douglas J. , Schneider Jack
Published: October 2017

School accountability systems in the United States have been criticized on a number of fronts, mainly on grounds of completeness and fairness. This study examines an alternative school quality framework—one that seemingly responds to several core critiques of present accountability systems. Examining results from a pilot study in a diverse urban district, we find that this alternative system captures domains of school quality that are not reflected in the current state system, specifically those measuring opportunity to learn and socioemotional factors. Furthermore, we find a less deterministic relationship between school quality and poverty under the alternative system. We explore the policy implications of these findings vis-à-vis the future of accountability.
Regularized lattice Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook model for the thermal flow in porous media
Authors: Wang Zuo , Zhang Jiazhong , Liu Yan , Wang Le
Published: October 2017

A regularized lattice Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook model for flow and heat transfer in porous media at the representative element volume scale is presented. In the model, the regularization process is extended to the existing Darcy–Forchheimer-based lattice Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook scheme. Numerical results show good agreement between the present model and the previous ones. Also, the present model shows better numerical stability than its lattice Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook counterpart.
Development of a new recline mechanism in order to reduce the “whiplash” effect using a virtual model
Authors: Radu Alexandru Ionut , Cofaru Cornel , Tolea Bogdan , Popescu Mihaela
Published: October 2017

The purpose of this paper is to design a mechanism mounted on the occupant’s seat to control the recline of the backseat in the case of rear-end collisions to reduce the effects of whiplash upon the occupant’s neck and head using a virtual model of an occupant and seat. The design of the system is modeled in SolidWorks and simulated in this software by using the Adams physics model included in SolidWorks. The system will function similarly to a real sled; it is composed of a car’s seat, a multibody occupant and a surface along which the seat may slide. This system will be validated by comparing two real sled tests and a seat normally functioning. Once validated, the mechanism is enabled to make simulations which are conducted to analyze the differences in kinematics of the occupant’s neck and the various key parameters such as head accelerations, contact forces and T1 vertebrae acceleration. The multibody occupant is composed of multiple bodies inter-connected with joints and it will simulate a real occupant. As for the evaluation of injury potential for the neck, the neck injury criteria (NIC) are calculated for the comparisons of the two situations: when the backseat has normal rigidity and when the recline mechanism is activated. It was observed that, by using this recline mechanism, the key parameters were reduced. This paper presents the new developed mechanism with the obtained parameter reductions.
Climatic buffering and anthropogenic degradation of a Mediterranean-type shrubland refugium at its semi-arid boundary, South Africa
Authors: MacPherson AJ , Gillson L , Hoffman MT
Published: October 2017

The mega-diverse, Mediterranean-type fynbos biome may be vulnerable to future changes in climate and associated fire regimes, in particular to increasing summer-drought intensity and associated potential expansion of adjacent semi-arid vegetation types. Studying Holocene vegetation dynamics at the fynbos–succulent karoo boundary may provide insights into the resilience or sensitivity of fynbos to climate change. In this study, fossil pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs and charcoal data spanning ~5500 to −50 cal. yr BP were generated from an accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) radiocarbon-dated sediment core extracted directly at the present-day fynbos–succulent karoo biome boundary at Groenkloof, a site in the Kamiesberg Mountains of Namaqualand, South Africa. Contrary to expectations, during the Mid-Holocene Altithermal from 5480 to 4025 cal. yr BP, fynbos and fire thrived through summer moisture subsidies associated with enhanced sub-tropical easterly flow. Subsequent cooling from 4025 to 2005 cal. yr BP resulted in enhanced summer drought and overall fynbos biome contraction, though woody fynbos shrubs persisted through physiological adaptations to drought. Desert succulents typical of the succulent karoo, such as those of Aizoaceae and Crassulaceae, failed to colonise the emergent niche space, resulting in dominance of an ambiguous grassy, asteraceous fynbos. More recent wetting associated with the ‘Little Ice Age’ Holocene temperature minima from 695 to 100 cal. yr BP prompted a resurgence in fynbos abundance, but frequent fire driven by pastoralists appears to have reduced the fynbos community’s functional diversity. Palaeoecological data from the Kamiesberg suggest that both climatic buffering of mountain refugia and high physiological resistance among certain fynbos taxa have contributed to the biome’s long-term resilience. Summer rainfall associated with the sub-tropical easterlies has been key in maintaining eastern fynbos refugia in past interglacial temperature maxima. The data also suggest that pre-historic land use and resulting fire-regime manipulations have resulted in the development of a taxonomically and functionally simplified alternative fynbos ecosystem state.
Scenarios for Brexit and social security
Authors: Verschueren Herwig
Published: October 2017

This article examines the questions raised by the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union (EU) about the consequences for the social security rights of persons who find themselves in a cross-border situation between the UK and the EU27. First, this article will briefly look at the current social security coordination applying in the relations between the EU Member States, including the UK. Subsequently, it will examine the issue of the rights of those people who already find themselves in a cross-border situation between the UK and the EU27 or used to be in that situation. Next, it will deal with the issue of the rights of those who will find themselves in this kind of cross-border situation in the future. Each time this article will give a short example of the situations for which agreements should be concluded and describe which legal form these agreements could take. Finally, it will examine the issue of what kind of legal framework could exist in a possible transitional period and finish with a short conclusion.
Silencing of activism in Australian law
Authors: Heath Mary , Burdon Peter
Published: October 2017

Environmental destruction and climate change are driving new waves of environmental activism. In response, governments in several Australian states have enacted legislation designed to penalise and silence political protest. This article analyses Tasmania’s anti-protest laws and considers how the United Nations and scholars have reacted to them. We argue that protest suppression laws such as these reflect a neoliberal rationality which conceptualises society in market terms. This mode of thinking perceives protest as market interference rather than civic participation. Accordingly, anti-protest laws seek to secure the rights and interests of corporations to unimpeded market access.
Reviewing Victoria’s Charter of rights and the limits to our democracy
Authors: Solomon Russell
Published: October 2017

Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, as a parliamentary bill of rights, is arguably a more democratic instrument than a judicial or constitutional model, but is a soft model of rights regulation that leaves the sovereignty of parliament unconstrained. The 2015 Review of the Charter identified that the Charter had failed as a driver of a human rights culture and major obstacles remained to it providing effective redress for rights violations. This article considers the major design and operational recommendations together with the government’s response to date. It is argued that this response reflects the dominant liberal political culture, buttressed as it is by an unquestioned faith in certain ideas and institutions, and that, taken together, these act to limit the Charter’s potential to protect and promote rights.
A review of medical terminology standards and structured reporting
Authors: Awaysheh Abdullah , Wilcke Jeffrey , Elvinger François , Rees Loren , Fan Weiguo , Zimmerman Kurt
Published: October 2017

Much effort has been invested in standardizing medical terminology for representation of medical knowledge, storage in electronic medical records, retrieval, reuse for evidence-based decision making, and for efficient messaging between users. We only focus on those efforts related to the representation of clinical medical knowledge required for capturing diagnoses and findings from a wide range of general to specialty clinical perspectives (e.g., internists to pathologists). Standardized medical terminology and the usage of structured reporting have been shown to improve the usage of medical information in secondary activities, such as research, public health, and case studies. The impact of standardization and structured reporting is not limited to secondary activities; standardization has been shown to have a direct impact on patient healthcare.
Extraction of modal parameters for identification of time-varying systems using data-driven stochastic subspace identification
Authors: Li Wenchao , Vu Viet-Hung , Liu Zhaoheng , Thomas Marc , Hazel Bruce
Published: October 2017

This paper presents a method for the extraction of modal parameters for identification of time-varying systems using Data-Driven Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI-DATA). In practical applications of SSI-DATA, both the modal parameters and computational ones are mixed together in the identified results. In order to differentiate the structural ones from computational ones, a new method based on the eigen-decomposition of the state matrix constructed in SSI-DATA is proposed. The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated through numerical simulation of a lumped-mass system and experimental test of a moving robot for extracting excited natural frequencies of the system.
When Is a Child’s Forensic Statement Deemed Credible? A Comparison of Physical and Sexual Abuse Cases
Authors: Hershkowitz Irit , Melkman Eran P. , Zur Ronit
Published: October 2017

A large national sample of 4,775 reports of child physical and sexual abuse made in Israel in 2014 was analyzed in order to examine whether assessments of credibility would vary according to abuse type, physical or sexual, and whether child and event characteristics contributing to the probability that reports of abuse would be determined as credible would be similar or different in child physical abuse (CPA) and child sexual abuse (CSA) cases. Results revealed that CPA reports were less likely to be viewed as credible (41.9%) compared to CSA reports (56.7%). Multigroup path analysis, however, indicated equivalence in predicting factors. In a unified model for both types of abuse, salient predictors of a credible judgment were older age, lack of a cognitive delay, and the alleged abusive event being a onetime less severe act. Over and beyond the effects of these factors, abuse type significantly contributed to the prediction of credibility judgments.
Exploring the East-West Divide in Prevalence of Affective Disorder: A Case for Cultural Differences in Coping With Negative Emotion
Authors: De Vaus June , Hornsey Matthew J. , Kuppens Peter , Bastian Brock
Published: October 2017

Lifetime rates of clinical depression and anxiety in the West tend to be approximately 4 to 10 times greater than rates in Asia. In this review, we explore one possible reason for this cross-cultural difference, that Asian cultures think differently about emotion than do Western cultures and that these different systems of thought help explain why negative affect does not escalate into clinical disorder at the same rate. We review research from multiple disciplines—including cross-cultural psychology, social cognition, clinical psychology, and psychiatry—to make the case that the Eastern holistic principles of contradiction (each experience is associated with its opposite), change (the world exists in a state of constant flux), and context (the interconnectedness of all things) fundamentally shape people’s experience of emotions in different cultures. We then review evidence for how these cultural differences influence how successfully people use common emotion regulation strategies such as rumination and suppression.
The Evolution and Prospects of Service-Dominant Logic
Authors: Wilden Ralf , Akaka Melissa Archpru , Karpen Ingo O. , Hohberger Jan
Published: October 2017

Service-dominant logic (SDL) emerged over a decade ago as a potential framework and paradigmatic lens for rethinking the role of service in exchange and value creation. The growth of SDL reflects a major shift in service research. However, SDL’s relationship to prior service literature and its potential for future development in this field have not been empirically examined. We explore the foundational research areas and evolution of SDL research through a systematic investigation, which combines cocitation analysis with a novel text mining tool, Leximancer. Specifically, we investigate the research streams connected with SDL and compare core themes across two time periods (2004 to 2008 vs. 2009 to 2015). The findings reveal SDL’s interdisciplinary theoretical heritage and significant changes in the structure of focal themes and concepts over time. Our analyses identify current limitations and subsequent research areas and questions to further develop strategic approaches for SDL and advance a service ecosystems view. These include open innovation, dynamic capabilities, organizational microfoundations, and service systems, as well as social capital and consumer culture theories. Integration of midrange theories and strategic frameworks in these particular areas can help to guide managers in improving service innovation and enhancing value creation in service ecosystems.
Exploring research impact in the assessment of leadership, governance and management research
Authors: Morrow Elizabeth M. , Goreham Helen , Ross Fiona
Published: October 2017

Research is increasingly under the spotlight to demonstrate impact as well as ‘World Class’ quality. Impact measures were introduced into the United Kingdom’s Research Excellence Framework in 2014, and are being adopted in other countries. However, impact is a concept that is both loosely applied and often contested. It needs unpacking to build understanding about how it can be effectively evaluated. This article uses findings from a subsample of 1309 research-based case studies in leadership, governance and management submitted to the Research Excellence Framework. The mixed-method study used Complex Adaptive Systems as a lens to explore perspectives of impact as a consequence of research, as a process and as an emerging concept. We describe some of the rich patterns of impact practices, mechanisms for exchange, connections with context, and types of measures, used to evidence impact. The article helps to illuminate the complexity of impact and implications for its evaluation.
A systems approach to policy evaluation
Authors: Caffrey Louise , Munro Eileen
Published: October 2017

There is growing interest in evaluating policy implementation in ways that grapple with the complexity of the process. This article offers an example of using systems methodology to explore how the child protection policy in child contact centres has functioned in practice. Rather than just asking the traditional evaluation question ‘is it working?’ this study sought to understand how the policy was working and how it was interpreted as it interacted with other systems, producing conflicts, local variation and emergent effects. It illustrates how the systems concepts of ‘emergence’, ‘local rationality’, ‘socio-technical systems’ and ‘feedback for learning’ can contribute new knowledge and understanding to a complex policy evaluation problem.
How to evaluate the governance of transboundary problems? Assessing a national counterterrorism strategy
Authors: Noordegraaf Mirko , Douglas Scott , Bos Aline , Klem Wouter
Published: October 2017

Wicked problems present major challenges for evaluation as they cross the boundaries between countries, policy domains, organizations, and scientific disciplines. They force evaluators to study large networks in order to trace extended chains of cause and effect. However, beyond this category of ‘regular’ wicked problems that cross boundaries, there is another class of even more complex problems that truly transcend boundaries. Problems such as terrorism, the global financial crisis, and climate change transcend distinctions between cause and effect, local and global problems, fact and impressions. These issues represent a class of transboundary wicked problems that are not about local challenges and uncertainty, but about globally connected events and ambiguity. We draw on the literature on wickedness, ambiguity, and transboundary issues, to formulate a transboundary evaluation approach capable of assessing the governance of these extremely complex problems. The usefulness of this perspective is demonstrated through our evaluation of the Dutch national counterterrorism strategy 2011–2015. We detail: (a) the evaluation framework which provided focus in a diffuse transboundary field; (b) the evaluation principles which guided us as evaluators; and (c) the evaluation conditions which allowed us to engage and empower the actors being evaluated. These components can together bolster the relevance and competence of evaluators in a complex world.
A review of mental health treatment dropout by ethnic minority youth
Authors: de Haan Anna M. , Boon Albert E. , de Jong Joop T. V. M. , Vermeiren Robert R. J. M.
Published: October 2017

A large proportion of treatments in youth mental health care are prematurely terminated by the patient. Treatment dropout can have severe consequences. Since ethnic minority youth are treated less often for mental disorders than other youth, it is important to analyse their risk for dropout and to determine if there are ethnicity-specific determinants. This review aimed to provide an overview of the findings from empirical studies on child and adolescent therapy dropout by ethnic minority and to determine if there were ethnicity-specific dropout determinants. An extensive literature search was performed to locate relevant journal articles. Identified articles were inspected for relevant references and these articles were then included in the meta-analysis. A total of 27 studies were accepted for analysis. The results showed that ethnic minority patients have a higher risk of treatment dropout than ethnic majority patients and that dropout rates are ethnically specific. Several differences in dropout predictors among the ethnic groups were found. In spite of diverse results, review limitations, and the lack of several key variables in the available research, some clinical recommendations are made. The review indicates that to prevent dropout, therapists should pay attention to variables such as ethnic background, therapist–patient ethnic match, and the quality of the therapeutic relationship.
Dynamic analysis of three-dimensional high-speed train-track model using moving element method
Authors: Cao Tan Ngoc Than , Reddy JN , Ang Kok Keng , Luong Van Hai , Tran Minh Thi , Dai Jian
Published: October 2017

In this article, the dynamic analysis of three-dimensional high-speed train-track model is carried out using moving element method. The train comprises a car-body supported by a secondary suspension system to a bogie. The bogie is in turn connected to wheel-sets through a primary suspension system. A total of 16 degrees of freedom is employed to describe the vertical, lateral, rolling, pitching, and yawing displacements of the car-body, the bogie, and the wheel-sets. The Hertzian contact and Kalker’s linear theory are used to account for the vertical and lateral contact forces between the wheels and rails. Two rails are modeled as two Euler–Bernoulli beams resting on a viscoelastic foundation. The moving element method is extended to establish the coupling formulations of the mass, damping, and stiffness matrices in vertical and lateral directions, where the element matrices are formulated based on a convected coordinate system attached to the moving vehicle. The dynamic amplification factor is defined as the ratio of the maximum dynamic contact force to the static load at the contact point between the wheel and the rail. To illustrate the benefits of the proposed three-dimensional train-track model, several numerical examples are performed in this study to present the effects of the train speed, the resonance phenomenon, the track irregularity, and track stiffness variations along the track and across the track width on the dynamic amplification factor of the high-speed train.
Debiasing regulators
Authors: Ip Eric C
Published: October 2017

Behavioral economics has revolutionized American legal scholarship in many areas of law, but not in administrative law, the law that regulates the regulators. This article theorizes that the administrative law doctrines developed by the Supreme Court of the United States strikingly resemble a system of ‘debiasing’ devices developed to counteract bureaucratic and judicial behavioral failures in just the areas that they matter most. A strong, alternative, justification may thus exist for the enduring paradox of American administrative law that administrators should be prepared to have their substantive decisions scrutinized by ‘hard look’ reviewing courts, while judges should be ready to defer to agencies on questions of statutory interpretation.
Regulating close companies in Corporate Law
Authors: Milman David
Published: October 2017

Close companies are the majority constituency in the corporate population across the globe. Yet little attempt has been made by corporate law systems explicitly to legislate for them. This is particularly so in the United Kingdom, where the courts have assumed the role of providing a customized corporate law regime for such entities. The Duomatic principle of unanimous assent, which is used to whitewash procedural irregularity, is the paradigm in this respect. This article reviews judicial attitudes in the common law world in this regard and evaluates the pros and cons of converting a globally recognized common law principle into a statutory statement of the law. It also considers the wider merits/demerits of a discrete regulatory framework for close companies and private companies in general.
Preparation and characterization of copper-coated polyester fabric pretreated with laser by magnetron sputtering
Authors: Peng Linghui , Guo Ronghui , Lan Jianwu , Jiang Shouxiang , Zhang Zhouyi , Xu Jiangtao
Published: October 2017

Laser treatment is a high-efficiency coating process with many advantages of stable performance, convenient operation and environmental friendly. In this study, an efficient method for the pretreatment of polyester fabric, based on exposure to the output from a CO2 laser, is investigated. Polyester fabrics were treated by laser and then copper films were coated on the surface of treated polyester fabrics by magnetron sputtering method. Copper-coated polyester fabrics were characterized by XRD and SEM. Contact angle, heat generation and electrical conductivity of copper coated polyester fabric were tested. The electrical conductivity, UPF value and contact angle of copper-coated polyester fabric with pretreatment of 6.5 W lasers are 0.239 Ω/sq, 147.4, and 128.5°, respectively. The temperature of copper-coated fabric can be kept at 25.8℃ using only 5 V. The results suggest that the copper-coated polyester fabric with pretreatment of laser has excellent electrical conductive property, hydrophobicity, UV blocking, and heat generation properties. The adhesion strength between copper coating and fibers is improved after laser treatment. Laser can be potentially used in pretreatment of fabrics before coating in the future.
Disappearing Acts: An Immigrant History
Authors: Cho Grace M.
Published: October 2017

This piece is an experimental autoethnographic text that juxtaposes the author’s childhood experiences of growing up as a mixed-race Korean immigrant in a xenophobic small town in the United States with her mother’s dreams of migrating from Korea to America. The story of the family is contextualized within the history of the Korean War and postcolonial Korea and is based on several conversations the author had with her mother and aunt, in addition to her research on the Korean War and its aftermath. It reveals the many physical and symbolic disappearances in both the author’s family and Korean diaspora.
Private prisons and the management of scandal
Authors: Boyle Otis , Stanley Elizabeth
Published: October 2017

In 2009, the Corrections (Contract Management of Prisons) Amendment Act re-implemented prison privatisation in New Zealand (NZ). Subsequently, ‘Mt Eden’, a public prison, was contracted to Serco and a second prison, ‘Wiri’, was built under contract to the same company. Despite glowing performance reports, Serco’s reputation was significantly damaged when cell-phone video capturing Mt Eden prisoners engaged in fights, in full view of prison officers and CCTV, was uploaded to YouTube in July 2015. An unprecedented stream of media revelations about prisoner mistreatment, corruption and serious human rights violations followed, prompting the Department of Corrections to seize control of the prison. This article examines the potential of this human rights based scandal to challenge the legitimacy of private prisons in NZ. Where previously, prison legitimacy largely revolved around representations of managerialism, security and the maintenance of austere conditions, the revelations at Mt Eden highlighted a moment when penal legitimacy fractured for being too severe and non-humanitarian. Drawing upon analysis of media articles (n = 648) over seven years (2009–2016) from three major sources (the New Zealand Herald, Stuff News and Radio NZ), the article demonstrates how journalists quickly reverted to traditional discursive frames on imprisonment. Representing the crisis as an unfortunate aberration that could be managed through government controls, mainstream media helped to consolidate and ultimately strengthen the legitimacy of the prison in NZ.
Youth political (dis)engagement and the need for citizenship education: Encouraging young people’s civic and political participation through the curriculum
Authors: Pontes Ana Isabel , Henn Matt , Griffiths Mark D
Published: October 2017

Over the past two decades, there has been a wide-ranging debate about the impact of citizenship education on young people’s political engagement and participation across Britain. Using data from a survey of 1025 young people aged 18 years at the time of the 2010 General Election, we examined the impact that studying for a formal qualification in General Certificate of Secondary Education in Citizenship Studies has on young people’s political and civic engagement. Drawing from the hypothesis that those young people who took the course would be more engaged than those who did not, results demonstrated that there are many differences between the two groups in terms of their political perspectives as well as their past and future patterns of political participation.
Association between insulin resistance and preeclampsia in obese non-diabetic women receiving metformin
Authors: Balani Jyoti , Hyer Steve , Syngelaki Argyro , Akolekar Ranjit , Nicolaides Kypros H , Johnson Antoinette , Shehata Hassan
Published: October 2017

Objectives

To examine whether the reduced incidence of preeclampsia in non-diabetic obese pregnant women treated with metformin is mediated by changes in insulin resistance.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of obese pregnant women in a randomised trial (MOP trial). Fasting plasma glucose and insulin were measured in 384 of the 400 women who participated in the MOP trial. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was compared in the metformin and placebo groups and in those that developed preeclampsia versus those that did not develop preeclampsia.

Results

At 28 weeks, median HOMA-IR was significantly lower in the metformin group. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that there was a significant contribution in the prediction of preeclampsia from maternal history of chronic hypertension and gestational weight gain, but not HOMA-IR either at randomisation ( p = 0.514) or at 28 weeks ( p = 0.643).

Conclusions

Reduced incidence of preeclampsia in non-diabetic obese pregnant women treated with metformin is unlikely to be due to changes in insulin resistance.
When critical stances become scripted: Impediments to resonant dialogue in the education classroom
Authors: Saul Roger
Published: October 2017

This essay, a speculative work, suggests that educational encounters of critical theory and pedagogy are today too often hampered by an emerging form of schooled reproduction in which university learners perform critical stances in order to garner recognition rather than for reasons of intellectual or political commitment. It suggests that the performance of these stances contributes to discursive conformity and threatens the vitality of the critical university classroom. It then pursues a strand of argument that considers two emerging, interrelated paradoxes of critical classroom practice, each indicative of how scripted critical stances can function as impediments to resonant educational encounters. The first, referred to as the ‘cultural capital paradox’, suggests that where expressions of critical theory and pedagogy are prized, a danger lurks that students may perform criticality simply to garner approval. The second, referred to as the ‘linguistic formalism paradox’, takes up the politics of language usage and positions some of its current contestations as impediments to the sustenance and success of the critical dialogical sphere.
An Evaluation of an LCD Display With 240 Hz Frame Rate for Visual Psychophysics Experiments
Authors: Shi Lin
Published: October 2017

Recently, a few LCD displays with 240 Hz frame rate have appeared on the market. I evaluated a LCD display with 240 Hz frame rate in terms of its temporal characteristics, progression between frames, and chromatic characteristics. The display showed (a) accurate frame durations at millisecond level, (b) gradual transition between adjacent frames, and (c) acceptable chromatic characteristics.
Real-world monitoring of direct oral anticoagulants in clinic and hospitalization settings
Authors: Takatsuki Seiji , Kimura Takehiro , Sugimoto Kazutaka , Misaki Sadaya , Nakajima Kazuaki , Kashimura Shin , Kunitomi Akira , Katsumata Yoshinori , Nishiyama Takahiko , Nishiyama Nobuhiro , Aizawa Yoshiyasu , Fukuda Keiichi
Published: October 2017

Background:

The monitoring of the effects of direct oral anticoagulants may be beneficial during emergencies and adverse events. We aimed to explore direct oral anticoagulant monitoring in “real-world” settings, in which monitoring methods are limited and loading time can be estimated based on only patient reports.

Methods:

In 164 patients, plasma anti-Xa activity was assessed using a STA®-Liquid Anti-Xa reagent (Diagnostica Stago, Asnieres, France), and prothrombin time was measured using HemosIL® RecombiPlasTin 2G (Instrumentation Laboratory, Bedford, MA, USA). The loading time was calculated according to the previous dosing time reported by the patient. In the clinic setting, rivaroxaban and apixaban were administered to 103 patients with atrial fibrillation and a blood sample was tested once during a clinic visit. In the hospitalization setting, edoxaban was administered to 61 patients undergoing arthroplasty for prophylaxis of a venous thrombosis and blood samples were tested 3 and 18 h after the last intake.

Results:

Plasma Xa activity in the clinical setting ranged widely (rivaroxaban: 1.1–424.4 ng/mL, apixaban: 15.4–469.2 ng/mL) during the 11.7 ± 7.0 h following the previous dose. The values varied over a wide range (up to a factor of 2) at the same loading time, especially around the peak period. The plasma anti-Xa activity of rivaroxaban and apixaban showed linear correlations with prothrombin time (R2 = 0.828 and 0.717, respectively). Edoxaban administration prolonged the prothrombin time by only 1.6 ± 1.1 s from the trough to the peak, to a degree that was negatively correlated with age, but not with plasma creatinine level, creatinine clearance, or body mass index.

Conclusion:

In real-world settings, plasma anti-Xa monitoring should be interpreted considering the wide variations in data, reflecting the variability in patient-reported loading time and interpatient variability.
The reliability and minimal detectable change of the cardiovascular response and self-selected exercise intensity during forward and backward treadmill exercise in individuals with Parkinson disease
Authors: Nelson Reid , Petersen Cheryl
Published: October 2017

Objective:

This study examined test–retest relative (intraclass correlation coefficient) and absolute (minimum detectable change) reliabilities for heart rate, blood pressure, rate of perceived exertion, and the cerebral oxygen response during both forward and backward treadmill walking in clients with Parkinson disease. In addition, the intensity of exercise based on the individual’s heart rate response during forward and backward walking treadmill work was assessed.

Design:

Test–retest reliability study.

Subjects:

A total of 22 clients with Parkinson disease (Hoehn and Yahr stages 1–3).

Main measures:

Outcome measures of heart rate, blood pressure, and cerebral oxygen response were assessed during forward and backward walking on a treadmill for a total of 20 minutes up to an intensity based on the clients’ prior treadmill work and their rate of perceived exertion.

Results:

Good to excellent 6–8 day test–retest findings for both forward (intraclass correlation coefficient(2,1), 0.89–0.99) and backward (intraclass correlation coefficient(2,1), 0.82–0.99) treadmill walking were found for heart rate, blood pressure, cerebral oxygen response, and the participants’ rate of perceived exertion. Low minimum detectable change (MDC)95 values were found for heart rate (4.9 and 4.8), rate of perceived exertion (1.0 and 1.6), and cerebral oxygen response (1.2 and 0.92), during forward and backward walking, respectively. All treadmill exercise heart rates attained by participants were within an intensity of 54%–87% of the client’s predicted maximal heart rate.

Conclusion:

Treadmill exercise training can be included in Parkinson disease exercise programs with relative confidence in test–retest reliability of cardiovascular response. It was also demonstrated that individuals with Parkinson disease previously involved with exercise consistently self-select walking speeds which induce heart rates within recommended guidelines for positive cardiovascular adaptation.
Safety of intravenous tobramycin in combination with a variety of anti-pseudomonal antibiotics in children with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Deschamp Ashley R , Pettit Rebecca S , Donaldson Jennifer A , Slaven James E , Davis Stephanie D
Published: October 2017

Objectives:

Previous studies have examined renal safety of once daily intravenous tobramycin in individuals with cystic fibrosis. This has been mainly in combination with ceftazidime in an adolescent or adult population. In this report, we describe our institutional experience of once daily intravenous tobramycin in combination with a variety of second anti-pseudomonal antibiotics in children with cystic fibrosis.

Methods:

We present a retrospective review including children with cystic fibrosis, who were admitted for a pulmonary exacerbation from January 2009 to December 2011, and treated using intravenous tobramycin. A literature review of once daily intravenous aminoglycoside dosing in cystic fibrosis was performed to compare our results to existing literature.

Results:

A total of 35 subjects were divided into once daily dosing (n = 20) versus multiple daily dosing (n = 15) groups. Mean age was 11.3 years (± 5.7) for the once daily dosing group and 13.1 years (± 4.4) for the multiple daily dosing group (p = 0.34). All subjects had normal baseline serum creatinine at admission (once daily dosing 0.49 ± 0.14 mg/dL vs multiple daily dosing 0.62 ± 0.23 mg/dL, p = 0.07). All subjects received intravenous tobramycin, and most received piperacillin-tazobactam as their second anti-pseudomonal antibiotic (once daily dosing 45% and multiple daily dosing 40%). There was no significant change in serum creatinine in either group during antibiotic treatment (once daily dosing 0.08 ± 0.12 mg/dL vs. multiple daily dosing 0.06 ± 0.10 mg/dL, p = 0.43). All subjects had significant improvement in lung function following intravenous antibiotic therapy.

Conclusion:

We show that both once daily dosing and multiple daily dosing of intravenous tobramycin in combination with a variety of second anti-pseudomonal antibiotics were safe in terms of nephrotoxicity in children with cystic fibrosis. These findings are important given existing literature mainly examines once daily tobramycin in combination with ceftazidime, a cephalosporin, and the majority of our patients were on tobramycin with piperacillin-tazobactam, an extended spectrum penicillin plus beta-lactam. This contributes new information not previously examined in a pediatric cystic fibrosis population.
Whose Lives Matter: The Media’s Failure to Cover Police Use of Lethal Force Against Native Americans
Authors: Schroedel Jean Reith , Chin Roger J.
Published: October 2017

The August 9, 2014, police shooting of Michael Brown reinvigorated the Black Lives Matter movement and triggered widespread media scrutiny of police use of lethal force against African Americans. Yet, there is another group, Native Americans, whose members have experienced very high levels of fatal encounters with the police, but whose deaths arguably have not generated media attention. In this research, we tracked the numbers of African American and Native American deaths associated with police use of lethal force as well as fatalities in police custody following arrest from May 1, 2014, through the end of October 2016. Then, we examined the extent of mainstream media coverage given to these fatalities in the 10 highest circulation newspapers in the United States. Finally, we considered the reasons for the disparities between the two groups.
Exploring Nurses’ Knowledge and Experiences Related to Trauma-Informed Care
Authors: Stokes Yehudis , Jacob Jean-Daniel , Gifford Wendy , Squires Janet , Vandyk Amanda
Published: October 2017

Trauma-informed care is an emerging concept that acknowledges the lasting effects of trauma. Nurses are uniquely positioned to play an integral role in the advancement of trauma-informed care. However, knowledge related to trauma-informed care in nursing practice remains limited. The purpose of this article is to present the results of a qualitative study which explored nurses’ understandings and experiences related to trauma-informed care. Seven semistructured interviews were conducted with nurses and four categories emerged from the analysis: (a) Conceptualizing Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care, (b) Nursing Care and Trauma, (c) Context of Trauma-Informed Care, and (d) Dynamics of the Nurse–Patient Relationship in the Face of Trauma. These findings highlight important considerations for trauma-informed care including the complex dynamics of trauma that affect care, the need to push knowledge about trauma beyond mental health care, and noteworthy parallels between nursing care and trauma-informed care.
Seeing Is Believing: Innovating the Clinical Practice Experience for Education Specialist Teacher Candidates With Video-Based Remote Supervision
Authors: Van Boxtel Joanne M.
Published: October 2017

A call to implement 21st-century change drivers within teacher preparation is evidenced within policy and research. The use of technology-enhanced methods of supervision where virtual observations of pre-service or in-service teachers are performed by university supervisors or mentors has an established and growing research base that demonstrates improvements in pre- and in-service teacher competencies, as well as programmatic benefits, such as time and cost savings and the ability to supervise remotely. To answer this call, the researcher investigated the strategic implementation of an asynchronous video-based remote supervision model within a university-based teacher preparation program from the perspective of education specialist teacher candidates and their cooperating teachers. Results suggest a video-based remote supervision method is feasible and equally effective or preferred over traditional face-to-face observations by teacher candidates and cooperating teachers for self-reflection, professional growth, and convenience. Time and cost savings resulting from reduced travel for the supervisor are analyzed and discussed. The model and methods presented in this study may be replicated to enable strategic scaling of video-based remote supervision within other teacher preparation programs, particularly those serving candidates in remote or rural areas.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Cancer Survival: The Contribution of Tumor, Sociodemographic, Institutional, and Neighborhood Characteristics
Authors: Ellis Libby , Canchola Alison J. , Spiegel David , Ladabaum Uri , Haile Robert , Gomez Scarlett Lin
Published: October 2017

Purpose

Racial/ethnic disparities in cancer survival in the United States are well documented, but the underlying causes are not well understood. We quantified the contribution of tumor, treatment, hospital, sociodemographic, and neighborhood factors to racial/ethnic survival disparities in California.

Materials and Methods

California Cancer Registry data were used to estimate population-based cancer-specific survival for patients diagnosed with breast, prostate, colorectal, or lung cancer between 2000 and 2013 for each racial/ethnic group (non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, Asian American and Pacific Islander, and separately each for Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino) compared with non-Hispanic whites. The percentage contribution of factors to overall racial/ethnic survival disparities was estimated from a sequence of multivariable Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

In baseline models, black patients had the lowest survival for all cancer sites, and Asian American and Pacific Islander patients had the highest, compared with whites. Mediation analyses suggested that stage at diagnosis had the greatest influence on overall racial/ethnic survival disparities accounting for 24% of disparities in breast cancer, 24% in prostate cancer, and 16% to 30% in colorectal cancer. Neighborhood socioeconomic status was an important factor in all cancers, but only for black and Hispanic patients. The influence of marital status on racial/ethnic disparities was stronger in men than in women. Adjustment for all covariables explained approximately half of the overall survival disparities in breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer, but it explained only 15% to 40% of disparities in lung cancer.

Conclusion

Overall reductions in racial/ethnic survival disparities were driven largely by reductions for black compared with white patients. Stage at diagnosis had the largest effect on racial/ethnic survival disparities, but earlier detection would not entirely eliminate them. The influences of neighborhood socioeconomic status and marital status suggest that social determinants, support mechanisms, and access to health care are important contributing factors.
Impact of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy on Health Care Costs of Patients With Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Chin Alexander L. , Pollom Erqi L. , Qian Yushen , Koong Albert C. , Chang Daniel T.
Published: October 2017

Purpose:

Drivers of variation in the cost of care after chemoradiotherapy for the management of anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) have not been fully elucidated. We sought to characterize the direct and indirect impact of radiotherapy modality on health care costs among patients with anal SCC.

Patients and Methods:

A retrospective cohort study was performed using the 2014 linkage of the SEER-Medicare database. We identified 1,025 patients with anal SCC diagnosed between 2001 and 2011 and treated with chemoradiotherapy. Propensity score matching was used to balance baseline differences between patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and those treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). Differences in total, cancer-attributable, and procedure-specific costs between groups were measured.

Results:

Radiation-related, patient out-of-pocket, and total costs in the 1-year period after radiotherapy start were all higher for the IMRT group than the 3D-CRT group (median total cost, $35,890 v $27,262, respectively; P < .001). Patients who received IMRT had lower cumulative costs associated with urgent hospitalizations and emergency department visits at both 9 months and 1 year after treatment start compared with a matched cohort of patients who received 3D-CRT (median, $711 v $4,957 at 1 year, respectively; P = .021).

Conclusion:

Although total costs of care were higher for IMRT compared with 3D-CRT, primarily as a result of higher radiotherapy-specific costs, IMRT was associated with decreased unplanned health care utilization costs starting at 9 months after treatment start. Radiotherapy-centered episodes of care may need to encompass a longer time horizon to capture the full cost savings associated with more advanced radiation modalities.