bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zonal Extension and Retraction of the Subtropical Westerly Jet Stream and Evolution of Precipitation over East Asia and the Western Pacific
Authors: Xie Zhiqing , Du Yin , Yang Song
Published: July 2015

The relationship between the zonal extension and retraction of the East Asian subtropical westerly jet stream (EASWJ) and the seasonal evolution of precipitation is investigated. The EASWJ exhibits significant zonal variations associated with its seasonal evolution, which affects both large-scale atmospheric circulation and precipitation over East Asia and the North Pacific. The midlatitude rain belts and the intertropical convergence zone are located more eastward and southward during jet extensions compared to jet retractions. The seasonal cycle of the zonal variations of EASWJ can be divided into four periods: December–February, March–May, June–July, and September–November. Particularly in the mei-yu period of June–July, jet retraction events are associated with a northward shift of rain belts over eastern China, which may play an important role in the northward movement of the mei-yu rain belt to the Huaihe River valley of eastern China after 1999. The zonal extension and retraction of the jet stream are more likely to occur in the ENSO decaying phase. A composite analysis of diabatic heating and outgoing longwave radiation shows a tripolar anomaly pattern that is strongest in El Niño winter and is important for the zonal extension of the jet stream over the Pacific. This spatial structure is conducive to a strengthening local Hadley cell over the Pacific and can also appear in weak El Niño periods. On the other hand, there is no tripolar anomaly pattern for zonally retracted jet streams.
Spreading of Denmark Strait Overflow Water in the Western Subpolar North Atlantic: Insights from Eddy-Resolving Simulations with a Passive Tracer
Authors: Xu Xiaobiao , Rhines Peter B. , Chassignet Eric P. , Schmitz William J.
Published: July 2015

The oceanic deep circulation is shared between concentrated deep western boundary currents (DWBCs) and broader interior pathways, a process that is sensitive to seafloor topography. This study investigates the spreading and deepening of Denmark Strait overflow water (DSOW) in the western subpolar North Atlantic using two ° eddy-resolving Atlantic simulations, including a passive tracer injected into the DSOW. The deepest layers of DSOW transit from a narrow DWBC in the southern Irminger Sea into widespread westward flow across the central Labrador Sea, which remerges along the Labrador coast. This abyssal circulation, in contrast to the upper levels of overflow water that remain as a boundary current, blankets the deep Labrador Sea with DSOW. Farther downstream after being steered around the abrupt topography of Orphan Knoll, DSOW again leaves the boundary, forming cyclonic recirculation cells in the deep Newfoundland basin. The deep recirculation, mostly driven by the meandering pathway of the upper North Atlantic Current, leads to accumulation of tracer offshore of Orphan Knoll, precisely where a local maximum of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) inventory is observed. At Flemish Cap, eddy fluxes carry ~20% of the tracer transport from the boundary current into the interior. Potential vorticity is conserved as the flow of DSOW broadens at the transition from steep to less steep continental rise into the Labrador Sea, while around the abrupt topography of Orphan Knoll, potential vorticity is not conserved and the DSOW deepens significantly.
Interannual Variation of Annual Subduction Rate in the North Pacific Estimated from a Gridded Argo Product
Authors: Toyama Katsuya , Iwasaki Aiko , Suga Toshio
Published: July 2015

Spatiotemporal variability of the subduction rate in the North Pacific from 2005 to 2012 is examined based on the Argo observational data. The subduction rate in the subtropical North Pacific varies significantly from year to year between 25 and 50 Sverdrups (Sv; 1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1), and it is well correlated with the Pacific decadal oscillation. The temporal change of the subduction rate is largely determined by that of the late winter mixed layer depth through the lateral induction term. The increase (decrease) in the subduction rate in the subtropical mode water areas accompanies densification (lightening) of the mode density class of the subducted water. The subduction rate variability in the central mode water and eastern subtropical mode water regions is anticorrelated as found in the previous study using the output from an ocean GCM. The subduction rate in the central mode water density range changes dramatically, which is very large in 2005 and 2010 but almost disappears in 2009. The subduction rate variability in the western subtropical mode water regions seems to be correlated with the Pacific decadal oscillation with a lag of a few years.
Controlling Guessing Bias in the Dichotomous Rasch Model Applied to a Large-Scale, Vertically Scaled Testing Program
Authors: Andrich David , Marais Ida , Humphry Stephen Mark
Published: July 2015

Recent research has shown how the statistical bias in Rasch model difficulty estimates induced by guessing in multiple-choice items can be eliminated. Using vertical scaling of a high-profile national reading test, it is shown that the dominant effect of removing such bias is a nonlinear change in the unit of scale across the continuum. The consequence is that the proficiencies of the more proficient students are increased relative to those of the less proficient. Not controlling the guessing bias underestimates the progress of students across 7 years of schooling with important educational implications.
Are Foreign-Trained Nurses Perfect Substitutes for U.S.-Trained Nurses?
Authors: Kaushal Neeraj , Kaestner Robert J.
Published: July 2015

The authors investigate whether foreign- and U.S.-trained nurses are substitutes by studying the differences in their wages and whether wage differentials respond to relative supplies of foreign- and U.S.-trained nurses. Regression estimates suggest that foreign-trained nurses without a bachelor’s degree enjoy a wage premium of 1 to 3% over similar U.S.-trained nurses after adjusting for demographic, workplace, work type, and geographic differences, but no wage difference remains among those with a bachelor’s degree. For all nurses combined, the wage difference is modest and statistically insignificant. This result suggests that foreign- and U.S.-trained nurses are equally productive and close substitutes. The authors also test explicitly for whether foreign- and U.S.-trained nurses are substitutes and cannot reject the hypothesis that they are.
Varieties of Prison Voyeurism
Authors: Ross Jeffrey Ian
Published: July 2015

The public learns, experiences, and knows about jails, prisons, and the people who live and work there through a variety of mediums and/or methods. Not all situations are equal in terms of the cost to the individual, the reality of the experience, and the effect it may have on the participant. In an effort to better contextualize this process, this article develops a typology to better understand these methods of participation. Ten methods by which people can experience correctional facilities include, on one end of the spectrum, the highly personal experience of incarceration, and on the other end, attempts by individuals to understand and/or experience corrections without intimately engaging with the subject matter. This latter method, termed prison voyeurism, fails to contextualize the myths, misrepresentations, and stereotypes of prison life rather than clarifying or explaining them. The author develops a framework to interpret the jail and prison experience. Examples are drawn primarily from the American prison experience.
Is Chinese Competition Causing Deindustrialization in Brazil?
Authors: Jenkins Rhys
Published: July 2015

There has been a lively debate in Brazil in recent years, involving sectors of business, the labor movement, and academics, over deindustrialization and the future of the manufacturing sector. This is often linked to the growing relation between Brazil and China, which is now the country’s most significant trade partner. Brazil has experienced relative deindustrialization in the sense of a declining share of the manufacturing sector in gross domestic product that is mainly attributable to the changes in the country’s trade balance in manufactures. The direct and indirect impacts of China on Brazilian manufacturing have contributed to this relative deindustrialization and the “primarization” of Brazilian exports through competition in the domestic market and in exports.

Nos últimos anos, instaurou-se no Brasil um debate acirrado entre empresários, acadêmicos e sindicalistas sobre a desindutrialização e o futuro do setor manufatureiro. O fenômeno é frequentemente associado aos crescentes laços entre Brasil e China, hoje o mais importante parceiro comercial do país. O Brasil vem passando por uma relativa desindustrialização devida ao intenso declínio da participação do setor de transformação no Produto Interno Bruto. Atribui-se essa queda às mundanças provocadas pelos resultados da manufatura na balança comercial. Os impactos diretos e indiretos exercidos pela China sobre o setor secundário brasileiro têm contribuido para essa relativa desindustrialização, assim como para a primarização das exportações brasileiras por meio da competição no mercado doméstico e nas exportações.
Does Transparency Improve Citizens’ Perceptions of Government Performance? Evidence From Seoul, South Korea
Authors: Porumbescu Gregory A.
Published: July 2015

Despite a great deal of research that examines consequences of transparency policies, there have been few empirical assessments of the relationship between transparency and citizens’ perceptions of public sector performance. This study focuses upon the relationship between computer-mediated transparency and perceptions of public sector performance in particular. We hypothesize that citizens’ increased exposure to computer-mediated transparency will be positively related to their generalized perceptions of public sector performance. We also hypothesize that this positive relationship is mediated by citizens’ satisfaction with public service provision. Results suggest that increased exposure to computer-mediated transparency is positively associated with citizens’ perceptions of public sector performance, but negatively related to citizens’ satisfaction with public service provision. Moreover, the positive relationship between computer-mediated transparency and perceptions of public sector performance increases when controlling for public service satisfaction, indicating the presence of inconsistent mediation.
Diagnostic accuracy of cardiothoracic ratio on admission chest radiography to detect left or right ventricular systolic dysfunction: a retrospective study
Authors: Chana Harmeet S , Martin Claire A , Cakebread Holly E , Adjei Felicia D , Gajendragadkar Parag R
Published: July 2015

Objectives

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the cardiothoracic ratio on postero-anterior or antero-posterior chest radiographs in predicting left ventricular or right ventricular dysfunction on echocardiography in an inpatient population.

Design

Retrospective study.

Setting

Two secondary care hospitals in the United Kingdom.

Participants

Four hundred consecutive inpatient echocardiograms were screened for inclusion along with chest radiographs (both postero-anterior and antero-posterior). The cardiothoracic ratio was calculated from chest radiographs along with quantitative and qualitative measures of left ventricular or right ventricular dysfunction on echocardiography.

Main outcome measures

Sensitivity and specificity of cardiothoracic ratio across a range of values to detect moderate/severe left ventricular and/or right ventricular dysfunction on echocardiography.

Results

Overall, 272 records met inclusion criteria. The prevalence of left ventricular/right ventricular dysfunction on echocardiography was 26% in an inpatient population with high clinical suspicion of cardiac disease referred for echocardiography. Over a range of cardiothoracic ratio values on postero-anterior films, a value of >0.55 yielded the best sensitivity (62.5%) and specificity (76.5%) for diagnosing left ventricular/right ventricular impairment (positive likelihood ratio 2.56), with a positive predictive value of 29.5%. Cardiothoracic ratio on antero-posterior film was not predictive of left ventricular/right ventricular impairment on echocardiography.

Conclusions

In conclusion, in the context of an acute admission, cardiothoracic ratio measured on postero-anterior or antero-posterior films has limited value in detecting moderate left ventricular and/or right ventricular systolic dysfunction. Previously established absolute values may be unreliable by modern standards.
Comprehensive Safety Monitoring of 12‐Month Daily 7000‐IU Vitamin D3 Supplementation in Human Immunodeficiency Virus–Infected Children and Young Adults
Authors: Schall Joan I. , Hediger Mary L. , Zemel Babette S. , Rutstein Richard M. , Stallings Virginia A.
Published: July 2015

Background: There is uncertainty whether long‐term daily dosing with vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplementation (vitD3) above the 4000‐IU/d dietary reference intake upper tolerable limit in children and adults is safe. As part of a randomized placebo‐controlled trial, we determined if supplementation with 7000‐IU/d vitD3 for 12 months in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–Infected subjects was safe and/or associated with metabolic outcomes. Material and Methods: A total of 58 HIV‐infected subjects—aged 9–24.9 years and stratified by mode of HIV acquisition (perinatal or behavioral)—were recruited, randomized to 7000‐IU/d vitD3 or placebo, and followed at 3, 6, and 12 months with physical examinations, blood and urine sampling for measures of 25(OH)D (serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D), metabolic status, safety measures, and HIV immune status. Safety was defined by a low incidence (<5%) of the study‐defined serious adverse events—that is, elevated serum calcium plus 25(OH)D >160 ng/mL—and no changes in hematologic, liver, renal, metabolic, lipid, or inflammatory status. Results: Randomization groups did not differ in demographic characteristics, vitamin D status, or HIV disease status at baseline. Over the 12 months, serum 25(OH)D increased with supplementation. No subject experienced a serious adverse safety event; none had 25(OH)D >80 ng/mL at any time. There were no clinically significant changes in hematologic, liver, renal, metabolic, lipid, or inflammatory status. Conclusions: Safety of daily 7000‐IU vitD3 supplementation in children and young adults with HIV was comprehensively monitored over 12 months. High‐dose daily vitD3 supplementation was efficacious in improving vitamin D status, and there were no safety events.
Stop griping, start complaining: how public discontent can trigger a change in broadcast entertainment content
Authors: Daskal Efrat , Kampf Zohar
Published: July 2015

This study examines the conditions under which public manifestation of discontent can lead to changes in the broadcasting of offensive media content. Our analysis is based on ethnographic research within the ombudsman at a regulatory institution in Israel, on content analysis of 2142 complaints regarding perceived inappropriate broadcasted content between the years 2005 and 2010, and on an examination of public discourse surrounding controversial programs in Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Our analysis indicates that successful complaints share three conditions that collectively lead media organizations to amend broadcasted contents: the complaints name a socially sensitive identity within a specific broadcasting culture, the complaints are numerous and represent diversified public sectors, and the complaints are accompanied by a heated public debate around the perceived offence. We elaborate on each of these conditions and conclude by discussing the effectiveness of public complaints as a discursive device in participatory culture.
Football on television: how has coverage of the Cup Finals in Norway changed from 1961 to 1995?
Authors: Solvoll Mona Kristin
Published: July 2015

The aim of this study is two-fold: first, to investigate how the production practices of the TV coverage of the Norwegian Men’s Football Cup Final rely on journalism, drama and entertainment and, second, to analyse how the production practice has changed in the period 1961–1995. I conducted a visual analysis of 12 Cup Finals, transmitted on NRK, the Norwegian public service broadcaster, using Whannel’s triangular model. In my study, I found that there was a tendency that entertainment and journalism merged into ‘infotainment’, without disturbing the journalistic convention that formed the base of all the coverage. The dramatic convention played a minor role in the coverage. Elements from this genre increased, significantly in the 1990s when the monopoly of NRK was broken. The practice of producing the Cup Final in NRK has not followed a gradual and linear development. Rather, the production practice continually undergoes changes. The modifications and adjustments are constantly testing the legitimate limits for how the practice can balance between entertainment, journalism and drama without distressing the values of a public service broadcaster.
Success for All: Eroding the culture of power in the one-to-one teaching and learning context
Authors: Rakena Te Oti , Airini  , Brown Deidre
Published: July 2015

This study applied a cultural lens to the “expert–novice dyad” (Kennell, 2002, p. 243) and explored the learning experiences of indigenous minorities studying in this context. The purpose of this study was to gather narratives that reflected the nature of teaching practices in the one-to-one studio context. The resulting data presented more complex stories that described how indigenous and minority students participate in the conservatory learning culture. The narratives described strategies for overcoming educational and institutional obstacles, and outlined examples of social practices within their ‘learning culture’ (Hodkinson, Biesta, & James, 2007, p. 419) that students had culturally modified in order to optimize their educational experience. The article examines the notions of critique, resistance, struggle and emancipation in a specific learning culture, a School of Music founded on the European conservatory model.
The effect of background music on the cognitive performance of musicians: A pilot study
Authors: Yang Jeremy , McClelland Alastair , Furnham Adrian
Published: July 2015

This study aimed to investigate how background music with different instruments affects trained musicians’ performance on cognitive tasks. Participants completed three sets of cognitively demanding intelligence tasks in a Latin Square design where each group listened to a different piece of music, involving their own and other musical instruments. The results showed that musicians’ performance on cognitive tasks is more impaired when listening to music featuring their own respective instruments than when not. These results are congruent with previous research and the central experimental hypothesis. Implications and limitations are noted.
Revisiting the wrinkling limits in flexible roll forming
Authors: Kasaei MM , Naeini H Moslemi , Liaghat GH , Silva CMA , Silva MB , Martins PAF
Published: July 2015

This article presents a new understanding on the deformation mechanics of flexible roll forming and is focused on the occurrence of flange wrinkling. The presentation draws from the experimental and numerical simulation of flexible roll forming to the determination of the wrinkling limits by means of a new theoretical and experimental methodology based on the utilization of rectangular test specimens loaded in axial compression. This research work is performed in mild steel sheets and the results show that the combined evolution of the effective strain with stress triaxiality obtained from finite element modelling of flexible roll forming and from the rectangular test specimens loaded in axial compression can be successfully utilized to predict the occurrence of flange wrinkling in variable cross-sectional profiles produced by flexible roll forming. The proposed methodology can, therefore, be considered an alternative to existing approaches based on simplified analytical and numerical procedures.
From Settlement to Divorce: An Islamic Judicial Practice in Burkina Faso
Authors: Saint-Lary Maud
Published: July 2015

Islamic reconciliation spaces in Burkina Faso take a significant place within the plurality of informal agencies of conflict resolution. Yet this place remains barely visible. This article studies the forms of Islamic justice in the country: it shows how the Islamic authorities dealing with the resolution of family conflicts tend to integrate the Islamic norms with local practices and the demands of justiciable persons. In the Sufi rural environment, the concept of sulufu expresses the need for a friendly conciliation that diverges from literalistic reading of the Quran. In town, the role of the ‘settlement’ plays against the proliferation of divorce: while the Islamic elites agree that the divorce is authorized within the Muslim law, in practice they refuse to endorse it. This shows the force of social injunctions in relation to marriage and to the indissolubility of the couple.
(Nuclear) war and the memory of Nagasaki
Authors: Zehfuss Maja
Published: July 2015

On the 70th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki the world remains marked by violent conflict and the possibility of nuclear war. This seems an apt moment to ask whether the bombings have left a trace in our thinking. This article thus explores how particular articulations of their memory or, alternatively, failures to articulate such a memory, conjure up our world: how they represent and account for violence and how, if at all, they assign specific significance to nuclear weapons. Reading two very different texts, Jacques Derrida’s ‘No Apocalypse, Not Now’ and Kamila Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows, alongside each other, the article shows how remembering finds itself at the impossible limit between the conceptual and the particular, in the space of politics. It argues that the violence that continues to form an everyday part of our world can only be challenged or even understood by thinking at this (impossible) limit where no answer can be generated in the abstract and decisions are necessary.
Influence of fiber length on the tensile behavior of fiber metal laminates with discontinuous reinforcement
Authors: Xue Jia , Wang Wen-Xue , Hu Jun-Feng , Zhang Jia-Zheng , Wu Su-Jun
Published: July 2015

In this paper, the influence of fiber length on the tensile behavior of fiber metal laminate, which is fabricated with unidirectionally arrayed chopped strand plies and aluminum sheets and named as unidirectionally arrayed chopped strand/aluminum laminate, was investigated based on finite element analysis and experiment. The unidirectionally arrayed chopped strand ply is made by introducing slits into carbon fiber reinforced plastic prepreg where continuous ﬁbers are arrayed unidirectionally. The fiber length is one of the most fundamental factors in tailoring the unidirectionally arrayed chopped strand/aluminum laminate to achieve the desired mechanic behaviors for specific applications. With longer fiber length, the mechanical behaviors of the bulk laminate should be more favorable, while the formability would be better with short fiber. Two-dimensional finite element models, with intra-laminar cohesive zone elements inserted into the slits of unidirectionally arrayed chopped strand plies and inter-laminar cohesive zone elements inserted into the all interfaces of unidirectionally arrayed chopped strand/aluminum laminate, respectively, were developed for the analysis of unidirectionally arrayed chopped strand/aluminum laminates with different fiber lengths under tension. Typical numerical results were validated by experimental results, which confirm that the tensile behaviors of the unidirectionally arrayed chopped strand/aluminum laminates with various different fiber lengths can be well predicted by present numerical modeling method.
IA Channels Encoded by Kv1.4 and Kv4.2 Regulate Circadian Period of PER2 Expression in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus
Authors: Granados-Fuentes Daniel , Hermanstyne Tracey O. , Carrasquillo Yarimar , Nerbonne Jeanne M. , Herzog Erik D.
Published: July 2015

Neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the master circadian pacemaker in mammals, display daily rhythms in electrical activity with more depolarized resting potentials and higher firing rates during the day than at night. Although these daily variations in the electrical properties of SCN neurons are required for circadian rhythms in physiology and behavior, the mechanisms linking changes in neuronal excitability to the molecular clock are not known. Recently, we reported that mice deficient for either Kcna4 ( Kv1.4-/-) or Kcnd2 ( Kv4.2-/-; but not Kcnd3, Kv4.3-/-), voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channel pore-forming subunits that encode subthreshold, rapidly activating, and inactivating K+ currents (IA), have shortened (0.5 h) circadian periods in SCN firing and in locomotor activity compared with wild-type (WT) mice. In the experiments here, we used a mouse ( Per2Luc) line engineered with a bioluminescent reporter construct, PERIOD2::LUCIFERASE (PER2::LUC), replacing the endogenous Per2 locus, to test the hypothesis that the loss of Kv1.4- or Kv4.2-encoded IA channels also modifies circadian rhythms in the expression of the clock protein PERIOD2 (PER2). We found that SCN explants from Kv1.4-/-Per2Luc and Kv4.2-/- Per2Luc, but not Kv4.3-/-Per2Luc, mice have significantly shorter (by approximately 0.5 h) circadian periods in PER2 rhythms, compared with explants from Per2Luc mice, revealing that the membrane properties of SCN neurons feedback to regulate clock (PER2) expression. The combined loss of both Kv1.4- and Kv4.2-encoded IA channels in Kv1.4-/-/Kv4.2-/-Per2Luc SCN explants did not result in any further alterations in PER2 rhythms. Interestingly, however, mice lacking both Kv1.4 and Kv4.2 show a striking (approximately 1.8 h) advance in their daily activity onset in a light cycle compared with WT mice, suggesting additional roles for Kv1.4- and Kv4.2-encoded IA channels in controlling the light-dependent responses of neurons within and/or outside of the SCN to regulate circadian phase of daily activity.
A Canadian Investigation of the Psychometric Properties of the Student Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory
Authors: Janzen Troy , Cormier Damien C. , Hetherington Jay , Mrazik Martin , Mousavi Amin
Published: July 2015

The psychometric properties of the Student Motivation and Learning Strategies Inventory (SMALSI) were examined using a sample of 404 Grade 6 students from an urban Canadian school system. Students completed the SMALSI and school factors included final school grades, attendance records, and language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies results from Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs). Confirmatory factor analysis of SMALSI demonstrated less than adequate fit for each individual SMALSI factor though with some covariance of similar items, the model fit approached acceptable limits for most factors. Results generally confirmed that the SMALSI subscales were significantly related to all of the achievement variables including PAT results and final school grades. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that writing and research skills, test-taking skills, low motivation, and test anxiety all contributed to the prediction of PAT results. Test anxiety was a significant predictor of achievement across all subject areas. Canadian Grade 6 students demonstrated lower motivation, less test anxiety, and fewer attention problems but were otherwise comparable with the U.S. sample. Results provide convergent evidence supporting the psychometric properties of the SMALSI with a Canadian sample; however, there is some room to improve the overall model fit in subsequent revisions of this measure.
Promoting Breastfeeding-Friendly Hospital Practices
Authors: Freney Emily , Johnson Donna , Knox Isabella
Published: July 2015

Background:

Hospital breastfeeding support practices can affect breastfeeding outcomes. Learning collaboratives are an increasingly common strategy to improve practices in health care and have been applied to breastfeeding in many cases.

Objectives:

The aims of this study of the Evidence-Based Hospital Breastfeeding Support Learning Collaborative (EBBS LC) were to describe the perceptions of participants regarding the process and effectiveness of the EBBS LC, describe perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, and identify additional actions and resources needed in future learning collaboratives.

Methods:

Qualitative, semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with 13 key staff who represented 16 of the 18 participating hospitals.

Results:

The learning collaborative was perceived positively by participants, meeting the expectations of 9 and exceeding the expectations of 4 persons interviewed. The most beneficial aspect of the program was its collaborative nature, and the most difficult aspect was the time required to participate as well as technological difficulties. The key barriers were staff time, staff changes, cost, and the difficulty of changing the existing practices of hospitals and communities. The key facilitating factors were supportive management, participation in multiple breastfeeding quality improvement projects, collecting data on breastfeeding outcomes, tangible resources regarding the Ten Steps, and positive community response. Participants in the EBBS LC stated that they would like to see the Washington State Department of Health create a resource-rich, centralized source of information for participants.

Conclusion:

This learning collaborative approach was valued by participants. Future efforts can be guided by these evaluation findings.
The “Chinese Century” and the dynamics of knowledge in a longue durée
Authors: Hongling Liang
Published: July 2015

Contemporary discourses of “Asian Century” or “Chinese Century” lead to the belief that economic growth and participation of world politics of Asian nations are changing today’s world. However, we also wonder to what extent it will restructure our world, if today’s world and our common future are still conceptualized and imagined according to the foundation of knowledge that was and is still offered by the history of Western civilization and if we still remain as consumers of universal modernity within the language frame of development and modernization. This article offers some reflections on the decoloniality of knowledge in the Chinese context. To better understand the historic process as well as to open discussions to make possible changes from a broader perspective, we will look at two moments in Chinese academia: one is related to educational movements in the beginning of the last century and the second is in regard to some new trends in the current Chinese anthropological scene.
Heat transfer characteristics of high crossflow impingement channels: Effect of number of holes
Authors: Llucià S , Terzis A , Ott P , Cochet M
Published: July 2015

In modern turbine airfoils, narrow impingement cooling channels can be formed in a double-wall configuration. In these wall-integrated cooling cavities, the generated crossflow is one of the most important design factors, and hence, the number of impingement holes included in a channel. This study examines experimentally the influence of the number of impingement holes on the heat transfer characteristics of narrow impingement channels. The channels consist of two rows of jets where the number of holes in the axial direction is varied from 5 to 10, maintaining the same jet plate open area. Local heat transfer coefficient distributions are obtained for all channel interior walls using the transient liquid crystal technique and over a range of Reynolds numbers (20,300–41,500). The results show an important heat transfer degradation at higher open areas and a small influence of the number of holes at upstream channel positions.
Participatory Populism
Authors: Rhodes-Purdy Matthew
Published: July 2015

Two apparently contradictory features have characterized the group of left-wing populists who have come to power in Latin America in recent years. First, these leaders share a tendency to centralize power in their own hands. Yet at the same time populist regimes have created new opportunities for ordinary citizens to participate directly in politics through the sponsorship of participatory governance programs. These apparently contradictory tactics have led to an intense debate whether the participatory programs sponsored by the populist regimes represent true attempts to deepen democracy or simply another mechanism for reinforcing the hegemony of populist leaders. This paper aims to transcend this contradiction by analyzing participatory fora created in Venezuela under Hugo Chávez. Neither a personalistic conception of populism nor pure participatory democracy conform to the actual design and practices of Venezuelan participatory organizations. I propose a new framework, which I call participatory populism, for analyzing the role of participatory fora in the broader political strategy of Chávez’s movement. Using qualitative analysis and public opinion data, I show that local-level participatory self-governance is used to meet the regime’s promises of popular inclusion and empowerment, thus justifying hegemonic politics at the national level.
Engagement as an Element of Safe Inpatient Psychiatric Environments
Authors: Polacek Michael J. , Allen Diane E. , Damin-Moss Rebecca S. , Schwartz April J. Ann , Sharp David , Shattell Mona , Souther Justin , Delaney Kathleen R.
Published: July 2015

BACKGROUND: The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) Institute for Safe Environments (ISE) has focused on key elements that affect safety in psychiatric treatment environments; one of these key elements is patient engagement. An ISE workgroup discussed and reviewed the literature on engagement and safety in inpatient psychiatric settings. This article presents what we have learned about the role that engagement plays in inpatient treatment of severely mentally ill individuals and evidence that links nurse–patient engagement to safety. OBJECTIVES: To describe, using supporting literature, the role that nurse–patient engagement plays in creating safe, therapeutic environments for individuals with severe mental illness. DESIGN: (1) Define engagement and describe why it is an important element of safe treatment environments; (2) identify what helps and what hinders patients in their engagement with nurses, and nurses in their engagement with patients; (3) describe how engagement may improve unit safety; and (4) propose recommendations and set future directions for practice, research, and education. CONCLUSION: Engagement may provide the foundation for safe, therapeutic, and recovery-oriented treatment. In the future, APNA’s ISE plans to build upon this foundation by developing a clinical model of nurse–patient engagement and safety by drawing together emerging research and practice models.
Design of an axially concave pad profile for a large turbine tilting-pad bearing
Authors: Kukla Sebastian , Buchhorn Nico , Bender Beate
Published: July 2015

To improve operational safety and/or achieve a higher load capacity of turbine tilting-pad bearings, an axially concave pad profile is presented. The thermal and mechanical stress of the loaded pads of a test bearing in load between pivot configuration has been analysed. Both film thickness and pressure distribution have been measured at a very high resolution. A fluid film calculation program in combination with a finite-volume-based structural mechanics program is used to simulate the deformation of a single pad under high circumferential speeds. In this context, the axial and tangential heat transfer coefficients of the pad surface, which act as boundary conditions for the calculation of the 3D temperature distribution, are determined using an optimization process. Herein, the match of predicted and measured pad temperatures is the goal. It can be shown that there must be a huge difference in heat transfer in axial and tangential direction in order to match the large measured temperature gradient in circumferential direction. Based on the measured deformed profile the program code is used to derive a concave pad profile, which will result in an axially non-arched sliding surface under the expected thermal load. Therefore, an iterative simulation procedure is used. By decreasing the axial arching of the pad and thus the large film thickness at the axial ends using an improved profile designed for a specific operation point, the minimum film thickness and maximum pad temperature can be influenced beneficially. The comparison of measurement data and calculation results shows very good agreement regarding the pad deformations. The results indicate that by axially concave profiling of the loaded pads of a large tilting-pad bearing for a specific operation point, the static characteristics in the form of temperature, film thickness and load capacity can be improved.
Feasibility of a practical nurse administered risk assessment tool for drug-related problems in home care
Authors: Dimitrow Maarit S , Leikola Saija N , Kivelä Sirkka-Liisa , Passi Sanna , Lukkari Pirjo , Airaksinen Marja SA
Published: July 2015

Aim: To evaluate feasibility of a practical nurse-administered Drug-related Problem Risk Assessment Tool among home care clients ⩾65 years. Methods: Altogether, 36 practical nurses participated in the study. They were trained about the purpose and use of the tool. The training consisted of a day long interactive workshop and involved reviewing four self-selected clients’ medications using the tool (one as a pre-assignment before and three as post-assignments after the workshop). The data of this study were collected during the training. Triangulation, i.e. combination of methods and data, was used to evaluate the feasibility of the tool. Quantitative data were gathered from returned post-assignment tools and qualitative data from face-to-face discussions and open questions in feedback forms the practical nurses returned after the training. Results: Practical nurses spent 10–45 minutes reviewing one client’s medication using the tool (mean 20±8). They identified reliably 88% of the risk medicines used by the clients listed in the tool. Of the respondents ( n=23) of the feedback forms, 43% reported that they felt it easy or quite easy to answer the questions of the tool. Generic names of medicines, time constraints, home-care workers’/client’s lack of interest to client’s pharmacotherapy and short client contacts were the most common barriers to use the tool. Conclusions: The Drug-Related Problem Risk Assessment Tool turned out to be feasible among practical nurses. The brief training on the content and use of the tool seems to be sufficient for ensuring reliable use of the tool.
Does a Falls Prevention Program Impact Perceived Participation in Everyday Occupations? A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Johansson Erika , Dahlberg Raymond , Jonsson Hans , Patomella Ann-Helen
Published: July 2015

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-disciplinary, client-centered, fall prevention program on the experiences of participation and autonomy in everyday occupations among community-dwelling older adults. In total, 131 older adults (65+) were included and randomly allocated into two groups. Intention-to-treat analysis was used. Results of this pilot study showed that the program had a limited effect on the subjective experiences of participation and autonomy in everyday occupations among the participants. However, a trend of increased perceived participation and a decrease in the experience of perceived problems with participation among the participants in the intervention group was shown. Perceived participation and autonomy seem to be subjective experiences, and they seem to vary depending on the individual. To properly understand the impact of fall prevention interventions on participation and autonomy, measurements that capture both subjective and objective experiences are essential to use.
Different cagA and vacA Polymorphisms are Found in the Chinese versus the Malay and Indian Populations: An Analysis of Helicobacter Pylori Virulence Genes in Singapore
Authors: Lui Sook Yin , Chuah Sai Wei , Goh Hui Lin , Lee Kar Yee , Lee Victoria Serelli , Ho Bow , Ling Khoon Lin
Published: July 2015

Aim:

Helicobacter pylori causes peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Western studies suggest that polymorphisms in the virulence factors cagA and vacA may determine the ability of bacteria to cause gastroduodenal diseases. Differences in the cagA EPIYA motifs and polymorphisms of the signal (s), middle (m) and intermediate (i) regions of vacA are thought to be important. The aim of this study was to compare the polymorphisms of cagA and vacA of H. pylori isolated from the Chinese, Malay and Indian populations living in Singapore.

Method:

A total of 104 H. pylori isolates obtained from patients with dyspeptic symptoms were analysed. Of the 104 patients, 80 were Chinese, 9 Malays and 15 Indians. DNA was extracted from the isolates and the vacA allelic types and cagA EPIYA motifs were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing, respectively.

Results:

Differences in the vacA and cagA polymorphisms were found between the Chinese, Malays and Indians. Significantly more non-Chinese patients carried vacA s1/m1 strains versus Chinese patients ( p < 0.05). All 9 Malay patients, 11/15 (73.3%) Indians and 31/80 (38.8%) Chinese patients carried H. pylori strains with the vacA s1/m1/i1. Significantly more Chinese patients carried isolates with East Asian cagA EPIYA motifs versus non-Chinese patients ( p < 0.05). 79/80 (98.8%) of the Chinese isolates, 2/15 (13%) of Indian isolates, and 5/9(55.6%) of Malay isolates possessed CagA with the East Asian ABD type motif.

Conclusion:

Results from the current study demonstrated marked differences in the polymorphisms of vacA and CagA EPIYA motifs in strains isolated from Chinese versus non-Chinese patients. Epidemiologically, the Chinese are at the highest risk of developing gastric cancer. Work is ongoing to determine if differences found in the CagA EPIYA motifs of isolates from the Chinese patients can contribute to a subject's risk of developing gastric cancer.
Narrow Band Imaging and Autofluorescence Imaging for the Detection and Optical Diagnosis of Colorectal Polyps
Authors: Thia Kelvin Teck-Joo , Kong Chris San-Choon , Ooi Choon-Jin
Published: July 2015

Colorectal cancer is the most common cancer in Singapore and polyps which are detected during screening colonoscopy are routinely removed. Conventional white light colonoscopy has a substantial miss-rate for polyps and limited accuracy in differentiating neoplastic from non-neoplastic polyps. Dye-based chromoendoscopy and more recent equipment-based image enhanced endoscopic techniques such as narrow-band imaging (NBI) and autofluorescence imaging (AFI) are promising tools to improve polyp detection and optical diagnosis. Current evidence suggests that NBI may not be superior compared to high definition white-light for polyp detection, but it achieves excellent accuracy in polyp characterisation, approaching that of histopathology. AFI is a wide area scanning modality which functions as a red-flag technique to improve polyp detection, although the evidence is still evolving. The ability to accurately characterise polyps with NBI and AFI will guide the management of polyps and in some cases, avoid unnecessary polypectomy and routine histopathology. This has potential to reduce associated costs and risks of polypectomy, and improves on overall efficiency of screening colonoscopy. The review will discuss the technology, current evidence and the issues relevant to the role of NBI and AFI for the detection and optical diagnosis of polyps in colorectal cancer screening.
Necrotising Fasciitis in the Elderly: A Double Delay
Authors: Cheah Kee Leong , Surrun Soondal Koomar
Published: July 2015

Necrotising fasciitis is an uncommon and rapidly progressive infection of the subcutaneous tissues and fascia which results in necrosis. Without prompt and aggressive surgical intervention, it inevitably leads to severe sepsis and multiorgan failure with a high mortality rate. In general, the diagnosis of infection in the elderly is often difficult, regardless of the type of infection. We report a case of necrotising fasciitis in a 95-year-old lady. The patient presented with bowel and urinary symptoms as well as left leg pain suggestive of sciatica. There was no sign of cellulitis and intravenous antibiotic was started for a presumed urinary tract infection. The diagnosis of necrotising fasciitis was made only much later when crepitus was noted in her leg and radiological studies confirmed gas in the soft tissues. The patient and her family declined surgery and she subsequently died from septicaemia. This condition posed a diagnostic dilemma in the absence of fever, sudden onset of severe pain, and cutaneous findings. In order to reduce morbidity and mortality a high degree of suspicion is required to reach an early diagnosis for prompt surgical intervention.
Transcatheter Removal of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Adherent to the Ventricular Septum
Authors: Wong Keng Yean , Tan Teng Hong , Low Yee , Tan Seok Gek , Sriram Bhavani
Published: July 2015

We describe an unusual case of a young child with peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) adherent to the ventricular septal wall 5 days following insertion. The impacted PICC was successfully retrieved using a transcatheter procedure. The technique describes the freeing of an intracardiac central line with closed ends.
Identification of First Case of Neonatal Diabetes in Singapore and Successful Conversion from Insulin to Sulphonylurea
Authors: Vasanwala Rashida , Yap Fabian , Lim Song Hai , Lim Pei Kwee , Lim Soo Ting , Hui Angela
Published: July 2015

Introduction:

To date Neonatal Diabetes Mellitus (NDM) has not been reported in Singapore. Neonatal diabetes is a rare (1 in 100,00–300,000 live births) insulin-requiring form of diabetes with well defined subgroups, permanent neonatal diabetes (PND) and transient neonatal diabetes (TND), each accounting for approximately 50% of patients. Genotyping NDM identifies the exact unique molecular aetiology of very early onset insulin requiring diabetes and has the potential to dramatically alter the management of the patient, who would otherwise be insulin dependent for life.

Method:

We identified a child who presented at 3 and half months of age with diabetic ketoacidosis and determined the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Blood samples for molecular genetic analysis were sent to Royal Devon and Exeter Foundation Trust, UK. We determined her Continuous Glucose Monitoring profiles after initiation of sulphonylurea therapy.

Results:

The patient was diagnosed as a heterozygous for a missense mutation R201H, in the KCNJ11 gene. Results confirmed a diagnosis of permanent neonatal diabetes due to a mutation in the Kir6.2 subunit of the KATP channel. We initiated sulphonylurea therapy and subsequently ceased insulin treatment successfully. Currently 2 years old, this patient is no longer insulin dependent.

Conclusion:

This is the first case report of neonatal diabetes in Singapore. It describes the importance of correct identification of the case, and successful conversion of therapy from insulin to sulphonylureas with optimal blood glucose control. We emphasise the need for medical practitioners to consider molecular testing for all patients who present with diabetes below 6 months of age as this will facilitate accurate diagnosis and appropriate therapy.
Newborn Thyroid Screening
Authors: Yap Clementine YF , Aw Tar Choon
Published: July 2015

The availability of rapid and robust thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) assays are important tools for newborn thyroid screening.