bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Motivational elements of digital instructional games: A study of young L2 learners’ game designs
Authors: Butler Yuko Goto
Published: January 2017

This article focuses on the design of digital instructional game (DIG) tasks for young second language (L2) learners. The aim of the study is to identify motivational task elements based on what children respond to positively in games and incorporate into their own L2 vocabulary learning game designs. Eighty-two sixth-grade students (ages 11–12 years) in Japan were first asked to identify game elements by examining existing games and then to design games incorporating DIG tasks of their own and peer-evaluate them. Building on previous work (Butler, 2015), the study uses a mixed-methods approach to examine how both task-intrinsic characteristics and implementation conditions were realized in innovative and engaging DIG tasks by children. Although the study focuses on young learners, the findings might be applied to any type of task, including both digital and physical tasks for adults as well as for children. The article concludes with suggestions for how to design instructional materials which allow individualized learning and encourage autonomy in order to cater to the genuine interests of learners and to invoke intrinsic motivation for learning.
Affective factors influencing fluent performance: French learners’ appraisals of second language speech tasks
Authors: Kormos Judit , Préfontaine Yvonne
Published: January 2017

The present mixed-methods study examined the role of learner appraisals of speech tasks in second language (L2) French fluency. Forty adult learners in a Canadian immersion program participated in the study that compared four sources of data: (1) objectively measured utterance fluency in participants’ performances of three narrative tasks differing in their conceptualization and formulation demands, (2) a questionnaire on their interest, task-related anxiety, task motivation, and perceived success in task-completion, (3) an interview in which they elaborated on their perceptions of the tasks, and (4) subjective ratings of their performances by three native speakers. Findings showed the cognitive demands of tasks were associated with learners’ affective responses to tasks as well as objective and subjective measures of fluency. Furthermore, task-related anxiety and perceived success in task completion were the most important affective factors associated with fluent task performance, whereas interest and task motivation were correlated with native speakers’ fluency ratings. These results are discussed in terms of how task design and implementation can contribute to enhanced task motivation and performance in the classroom.
Inter-cultural contact and flow in a task-based Japanese EFL classroom
Authors: Aubrey Scott
Published: January 2017

Flow represents a state of complete involvement and heightened intensity that leads to improved performance on a task (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975, 1990). The notion of flow has the potential to provide worthwhile insights into the area of task engagement, yet the construct has received relatively little empirical attention by second language acquisition (SLA) researchers. This article uses flow theory to investigate the relationship between flow and engagement in second language (L2) use for inter-cultural and intra-cultural task-based interactions in a Japanese classroom for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. The study employed a quasi-experimental design in which learners in the inter-cultural group ( n = 18) and the intra-cultural group ( n = 18) completed five dialogic, oral tasks. Tasks were then repeated, during which time the intra-cultural group continued to perform the tasks with Japanese peers, while the inter-cultural group performed the tasks with international interlocutors ( n = 18). Analysis of flow questionnaires and task transcripts showed that inter-cultural contact had a significant positive effect on flow and one aspect of engagement in L2 use (turn-taking). In terms of the relationship between flow and engagement in L2 use, inter-cultural task interactions had a significant positive correlation between flow and turns. The findings are discussed in terms of two pedagogical implications: the provision of inter-cultural contact in language classrooms and the flow-enhancing potential of task design features.
Longitudinal patterns of early development in Canadian late preterm infants
Authors: Benzies Karen M , Magill-Evans Joyce , Ballantyne Marilyn , Kurilova Jana
Published: January 2017

This prospective, longitudinal cohort study examined longitudinal patterns of early development in Canadian children born late preterm. A convenience sample of 82 mothers and their healthy, singleton, late preterm children participated. Mothers completed the Ages and Stages Questionnaires at 4, 8, and 18 months corrected age. Concerns were most commonly reported in the communication and gross motor domains, especially early in development. The proportion of children scoring below the referral cut-off in at least one domain at 4, 8, and 18 months was, respectively, 25.6, 25.6, and 14.6%. Only two children (2.4%) scored below referral cut-off in at least one domain at all three time points. At ages four and eight months, the late preterm sample had significantly lower communication and gross motor scores than the Ages and Stages Questionnaires normative sample. At age four months, there was also a significant difference on the fine motor domain. There were no significant differences at age 18 months. Healthy late preterm children appear to catch up to population norms by age 18 months corrected age. Longer term studies are needed to further clarify early indicators of delay in late preterm children and identity those who require close developmental monitoring.
The Anthropocene monument
Authors: Szerszynski Bronislaw
Published: January 2017

In the Parthenon frieze, the time of mortals and the time of gods seem to merge. Dipesh Chakrabarty has argued that with the advent of the Anthropocene the times of human history and of the Earth are similarly coming together. Are humans entering the ‘monumental time’ of the Earth, to stand alongside the Olympian gods of the other geological forces? This article first looks at the cultural shifts leading to the modern idea of separate human and Earth histories. It examines the changing use of monuments to mediate between human and other temporalities. It explores the use of ‘stratigraphic sections’ as natural monuments to mark transitions between the major time units of Earth history, and the erection of intentional monuments nearby. It suggests that the Anthropocene, as a geological epoch-in-the-making, may challenge the whole system of monumental semiotics used to stabilize our way of thinking about deep time.
Governing the Anthropocene
Authors: Delanty Gerard , Mota Aurea
Published: January 2017

The growing body of literature on the idea of the Anthropocene has opened up serious questions that go to the heart of the social and human sciences. There has been as yet no satisfactory theoretical framework for the analysis of the Anthropocene debate in the social and human sciences. The notion of the Anthropocene is not only a condition in which humans have become geologic agents, thus signalling a temporal shift in Earth history: it can be seen as a new object of knowledge and an order of governance. A promising direction for theorizing in the social and human science is to approach the notion of the Anthropocene as exemplified in new knowledge practices that have implications for governance. It invokes new conceptions of time, agency, knowledge and governance. The Anthropocene has become a way in which the human world is re-imagined culturally and politically in terms of its relation with the Earth. It entails a cultural model, that is an interpretative category by which contemporary societies make sense of the world as embedded in the Earth, and articulate a new kind of historical self-understanding, by which an alternative order of governance is projected. This points in the direction of cosmopolitics – and thus of a ‘Cosmopolocene’ – rather than a geologization of the social or in the post-humanist philosophy, the end of the human condition as one marked by agency.
A Place of Safety: The Difficulties Faced by the Police When Using Section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983
Authors: Costen Peter , Milne Rebecca
Published: January 2017

In England and Wales, s. 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 empowers a police officer to remove from a public place, and take to a place of safety for up to 12 hours, for assessment by a doctor and a social worker, anyone he/she considers to be mentally disordered and in need of immediate care. This power is the subject of considerable controversy and this paper examines the difficulties faced by the police when exercising that power: The difficulty in deciding whether somewhere is a public place; the problem of recognising mental disorder in the absence of any meaningful training; the use of a police station to manage a mentally disturbed detainee; the length of time allowed by the law for the two assessments to take place; and, finally, the apparent lack of support received from the other professionals involved in s. 136 detentions.

Some suggestions for changes to the law which would improve the system for both the police and the s. 136 detainee are offered.
Dilemmas Confronting Female Police Officer Promotional Candidates: Glass Ceiling, Disenfranchisement or Satisfaction?
Authors: Whetstone Thomas S. , Wilson Deborah G.
Published: January 2017

Through an analysis of data from one large Midwestern municipal police agency, this study examined some of the issues affecting the promotion of female police officers. Specifically, the issues examined are those influencing the decision about whether to enter the promotional process and, once a decision is made to enter the process, those factors influencing women during the process. Within the agency under study, the rate of promotion for females still lags behind that for males. The study found that personal ‘choices' constrained by impediments from both within and outside the organisation contributed to the lack of parity. Based on these findings, suggestions are made for strategies to increase the numbers of women, relative to men, in supervisory and managerial positions.
The datafied child: The dataveillance of children and implications for their rights
Authors: Lupton Deborah , Williamson Ben
Published: January 2017

Children are becoming the objects of a multitude of monitoring devices that generate detailed data about them, and critical data researchers and privacy advocates are only just beginning to direct attention to these practices. In this article, we provide an overview and critique of these varied forms of datafication and dataveillance of children, from in utero through to the school years. Our approach is informed by recent calls for research on children’s rights in the digital age that examines the conditions that give rise to children’s needs and guide provision of resources necessary for development to their full potential, the array of specific harms they may encounter and the significance of and particular opportunities to participate in matters that affect their wellbeing and enable them to play an active part in society. There remains little evidence that specific instruments to safeguard children’s rights in relation to dataveillance have been developed or implemented, and further attention needs to be paid to these issues.
When politicians go native: The consequences of political native advertising for citizens’ trust in news
Authors: Iversen Magnus Hoem , Knudsen Erik
Published: January 2017

Declining revenues from offline and online ads has led publishers to pursue new avenues, such as native advertising: camouflaging ads as news. Critics of native advertising claim that this form of advertising blurs the boundaries between editorial and commercial content, and can reduce the audiences’ trust in editorial content. However, little research has assessed the possible effects of native ads on audiences’ trust in news. With an experimental design embedded in an online survey (N = 733) representative of the Norwegian population, this study explores the consequences of political native advertising for citizens’ trust in political news. This article discusses how political native advertising poses a challenge to the boundary between journalism and advertising as well as the boundary between journalism and powerful elites. Our study examines (1) how prominently native advertisements should be labelled in order for readers to recognize them as advertising content and (2) whether exposure to such ads reduces readers’ trust in political news. Our most important finding shows that when explicitly labelled, native advertising by political parties can reduce people’s trust in political news.
Understanding Members of the European Parliament: Four waves of the European Parliament Research Group MEP survey
Authors: Whitaker Richard , Hix Simon , Zapryanova Galina
Published: January 2017

This article presents a new survey of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) conducted during 2015, which adds to a time series of MEP surveys carried out by the European Parliament Research Group. The data allow for comparison of MEPs’ views with those of the EU public, European Parliament candidates, and members of national and regional parliaments in Europe. The survey includes questions on topical issues, such as intra-EU migration and the UK–EU relationship. The dataset can be used to address a range of research questions concerning MEPs’ preferences and representation. This article presents details of the 2015 MEP survey and uses the data to assess what explains MEPs’ attitudes to the question of whether all EP plenary sessions should be held in Brussels.
Utilizing boost and double injections for enhanced stratified-charge direct-injection spark-ignition engine operation with gasoline and E30 fuels
Authors: Zeng Wei , Sjöberg Magnus
Published: January 2017

This study systematically explores the effects of injection strategy and exhaust-gas recirculation on boosted stratified-charge operation of a direct-injection spark-ignition engine using gasoline and E30 fuels at absolute intake pressures in the range of 100–160 kPa. Nitrogen dilution is used to lower the intake mole fraction of oxygen to simulate the dilution effects of exhaust-gas recirculation. The engine is operated at 1000 r/min with an gross indicated mean effective pressure range of 380–680 kPa. In summary, significant reductions of engine-out NOx and soot emissions can be achieved for stratified operation while still maintaining stable combustion (~2% gross indicated mean effective pressure variability) and high thermal efficiency (~40%). Adding exhaust-gas recirculation significantly suppresses NOx emissions, not only by reducing flame temperatures but also by slowing down the combustion which effectively retards the combustion phasing. A well-designed closely spaced double-injection strategy is key to combustion stabilization and plays an important role to suppress soot emissions. Intake boost allows reaching higher loads with further reduced soot emissions. High-speed dual-camera flame imaging reveals key features of flame propagation for stratified operation with low NOx emissions at high exhaust-gas recirculation levels. Heat release rate–based conditional analysis of flame images shows that compared to single injection, the use of double injections creates a spark plasma that is more stretched out, correlating with a more stable early combustion. It also demonstrates that double injections produce more symmetric flame propagation with smaller soot-containing regions, indicating more favorable fuel distributions. Stratified operation with gasoline and E30 fuels demonstrates similar engine performance and emission levels for double injections. These observations suggest that E0 (gasoline)–E30 fuel blends can be compatible with highly efficient stratified-charge spark-ignited operation. However, for a 50/50 double-injection strategy, E30 showed elevated smoke emissions for operation without intake boost, indicating that certain operating strategies can be adversely affected by the ethanol content of E30 fuel blends.
The reuse of semiotic resources in third-year children’s writing of sub-genres
Authors: Hultin Eva , Westman Maria
Published: January 2017

The aim of this article is to explore how children use and reuse semiotic resources in their writing of hybrid genres in school. In focus are children’s use and reuse of semiotic resources from both earlier literacy events at school and literacy events they have experienced at home or in their leisure time. This double focus is rare in previous studies and thus the study contributes new insights concerning how children’s writing can be understood as a hybridization process in which semiotic resources from different literacy practices in school and out of school interplay. The theoretical framework of the study is based on New Literacy Studies, social semiotics and genre theories. The methodological approach is semiotic ethnography. The material is based on videotaped classroom observations of a particular writing process consisting of both collective and individual writing, as well as on the texts produced. A genre analysis is conducted in three steps, in order to explore the reuse of semiotic resources from literacy events in and out of school in five children’s texts. The results of this analysis show children’s creative ways of reusing semiotic resources, not only from literacy events and practices outside of school but also from previous literacy events in school. These creative ways of children engaging in hybridization processes while writing a narrative in sub-genres within an official literacy event in school can be understood as the children seizing agency in order to influence their own practice.
Stroke Prevention: Not all Antihypertensive Drugs are Created Equal
Authors: Messerli Franz H , Chiadika Simbo M
Published: January 2017

Reductions in blood pressure (BP) through intervention can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. However, a number of trials indicate that beta-blockers, despite lowering BP, do not reduce the risk of stroke.

A recent meta-analysis suggested that, over and beyond BP reduction, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors appear superior to calcium channel blockers for prevention of coronary heart disease whereas calcium channel blockers appear superior to ACE inhibitors for prevention of stroke.

Indeed, in the Syst-EUR study a 42% reduction in strokes was achieved in the calcium antagonist arm when compared to the placebo arm.It is hypothesised that antihypertensive agents that stimulate the AT2-receptor (thiazide diuretics, dihydropyridine calcium antagonists and angiotensin receptor blockers) are more cerebroprotective than drug classes that do not stimulate the AT2-receptor (beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors).The angiotensin receptor blockers are the only drug class that have a dual mechanism of action that could be helpful in preventing strokes in that they not only inhibit the AT1-receptor but also allow stimulation of the AT2-receptor. Not surprisingly therefore, in trials such as LIFE, VALUE and MOSES, angiotensin receptor blockers showed excellent cerebroprotection.
Principal Results of a Prospective Randomised Controlled Study: Morbidity and Mortality after Stroke — Eprosartan Compared with Nitrendipine for Secondary Prevention (MOSES)
Authors: Lüders Stephan
Published: January 2017

The morbidity and mortality after stroke — eprosartan compared with nitrendipine for secondary prevention (MOSES) trial compared the effects of two antihypertensive agents in secondary prevention of stroke. The hypothesis of the trial was that in hypertensive stroke patients, for the same level of blood pressure (BP) control, eprosartan would be more effective than nitrendipine in reducing cerebrovascular and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

A total of 710 patients were assigned to an eprosartan-based regimen and 695 to a nitrendipine-based regimen.These patients had hypertension requiring treatment and documented cerebral ischaemia or haemorrhage. They were well matched at baseline in general characteristics, BP and concomitant disease. BP was lowered to the same extent in both treatment arms, with a very similar timeframe. A high proportion of patients in both treatment arms achieved target BP.

The combined primary endpoint was a composite of total mortality and total number of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, including recurrent events.There were 206 endpoints in the eprosartan group and 255 endpoints in the nitrendipine group.This represents a statistically significant 21% risk reduction in favour of eprosartan. Eprosartan also had advantages over nitrendipine in respect of all cerebrovascular events and first cardiovascular events.
The relationship between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion (I) / deletion (D) polymorphism, serum ACE activity and bone mineral density (BMD) in older Chinese
Authors: Zhang Ya-feng , Wang Hong , Cheng Qiong , Qin Ling , Tang Nelson LS , Leung Ping-chong , Kwok Timothy CY
Published: January 2017

Objective:

In this study, we set out to investigate the relationship between angiotensin-converting enzyme ( ACE) I/D polymorphism, serum ACE activity and bone mineral density (BMD) in older Chinese.

Methods:

A standardized, structured, face-to-face interview was performed to collect demographic information. BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). I/D genotypes of ACE were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Serum ACE activity was determined photometrically by a commercially available kinetic kit. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between ACE I/D polymorphism, serum ACE activity and BMD.

Results:

A total of 1567 males and 1760 females were selected for analyzing the relationship between ACE I/D polymorphism and BMD. There was no significant difference in spine BMD, total hip BMD and femur neck BMD among different ACE I/D genotypes both in males and females. A total of 1699 males and 1739 females were selected for analyzing the relationship between serum ACE activity and BMD. There was also no significant difference in spine BMD, total hip BMD and femur neck BMD among different serum ACE activity groups both in males and females.

Conclusion:

There was no relationship between ACE I/D polymorphism, serum ACE activity and BMD in older Chinese.
Is angiotensin-(3–4) (Val-Tyr), the shortest angiotensin II-derived peptide, opening new vistas on the renin–angiotensin system?
Authors: Dias Juliana , Axelband Flavia , Lara Lucienne S. , Muzi-Filho Humberto , Vieyra Adalberto
Published: January 2017

Angiotensin-(3−4) (Ang-(3−4) or Val-Tyr) is the shorter angiotensin (Ang) II-derived peptide, formed through successive hydrolysis that culminates with the release of Val-Tyr as a dipeptide. It is formed both in plasma and in kidney from Ang II and Ang III, and can be considered a component of the systemic and organ-based renin–angiotensin system. It is potently antihypertensive in humans and rats, and its concerted actions on proximal tubule cells culminate in the inhibition of fluid reabsorption, hyperosmotic urinary excretion of Na+. At the renal cell signaling level, Ang-(3−4) counteracts Ang II-type 1 receptor-mediated responses by acting as an allosteric enhancer in Ang II-type 2 receptor populations that target adenosine triphosphate-dependent Ca2+ and Na+ transporters through a cyclic adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase pathway.
Influence of low-frequency parameter changes on nonlinear vibro-acoustic wave modulations used for crack detection
Authors: Liu Bin , Luo Zhiwei , Gang Tie
Published: January 2017

The use of vibro-acoustic modulation is an effective nonlinear and nondestructive approach to the detection and monitoring of cracks in fatigued, defective, and fractured materials. However, the vibro-acoustic modulation results strongly depend on choice of the testing parameters. To implement this technique for additional applications, the effect of variation in the test parameters must be well understood. This study investigates the influence of variation in the amplitude and frequency of pumping (low-frequency vibration) signals on the modulation. We apply two kinds of probing excitations, sine-wave and swept-signal excitations, and we measure the modulation intensity variation with changes in the relevant parameters to observe their influence on the modulations. Dynamic strain measurement of the crack area is utilized to analyze the relation between the degree of crack opening/closing and the modulation on the crack interface. The results indicate that the probing amplitude has little effect on the modulation, and furthermore, the sweep-signal excitation technique can be used to select the proper probing frequency. The results also indicate that there is a critical pumping strain value ( εc) for the crack samples. When the pumping strain reaches this critical value, the modulation reaches a maximum. However, the opening/closing area cannot increase any more even if the pumping amplitude further increases, and thus, the modulation does not change. The extent of the crack opening/closing also varies with the pumping frequency. Our results suggest that increased sensitivity to crack detection can be achieved with the use of the resonance frequency as the pumping frequency in vibro-acoustic modulation tests.
The (Ontological) Politics in Depoliticisation Debates: Three Lenses on the Decline of the Political
Authors: Beveridge Ross
Published: January 2017

The argument that representative democracies are experiencing an age of depoliticisation has become increasingly prominent. However, there has been too little reflection on the assumptions made about politics within the depoliticisation literature. This has led to a lack of precision in terms of how we identify (de)politicisation empirically and the grounds upon which we can normatively critique it. To address this, the article changes the terms of the depoliticisation debate and asks not what we can learn about politics by thinking more about depoliticisation, but what we can learn about depoliticisation if we think more about politics. How politics is defined, in spatial, temporal and activity terms, hugely influences how we might understand depoliticisation. Three prominent and contrasting definitions of politics are shown: politics as the institutions of government ( politics lens 1), politics as choice and contingency ( politics lens 2) and politics as the apparatus of order and consensus versus ‘political’ moments of antagonism ( politics lens 3). By considering these ontologies of politics, the article teases out some of their strengths and weaknesses in capturing the depoliticisation ‘crisis’. The article concludes by considering the benefits of a multi-lens approach to depoliticisation as a preliminary step to encourage greater reflexivity and debate.
Effects of an adapted cardiac rehabilitation programme on arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes without cardiac disease diagnosis
Authors: Brozic Anka P , Marzolini Susan , Goodman Jack M
Published: January 2017

Purpose:

To determine the effects of a 12-week cardiac rehabilitation programme of aerobic and resistance exercise training on arterial stiffness, peak calf vasodilatory reserve, and haemostatic markers in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods:

Observational cohort study examining effects of 12 weeks of exercise training in 23 subjects (13 men, 10 women; mean age of 56.1 ± 10.1 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Subjects performed exercise training for 12 weeks [aerobic training 5 days/week, 70%–75% peak cardiovascular fitness (VO2peak) and resistance training 2–3 days/week, 60% of one repetition maximum]. Vascular stiffness (pulse-wave velocity), augmentation index, peak calf vasodilatory reserve, and VO2peak were measured pre- and post-exercise training. Secondary outcomes included heart rate variability and haemostatic measures.

Results:

VO2peak increased by 16% (20.1 ± 5.5 vs 23.2 ± 8.8 mL/kg/min, p = 0.002) and abdominal circumference was reduced (101.9 ± 13.3 vs 97.9 ± 12.7 cm, p < 0.03). Vascular function was improved including central arterial stiffness (central pulse-wave velocity: 8.44 ± 1.75 vs 8.02 ± 1.60 m/s, p = 0.026) and the aortic augmentation index (21.7 ± 10.6% vs 18.3 ± 12.6%, p = 0.005); peak calf vasodilatory reserve increased from 30.3 ± 10.6 mL/100 mL/min to 38.0 ± 15.3 mL/100 mL/min ( p = 0.04). No changes were seen in heart rate variability, blood lipids, glycated haemoglobin and C-reactive protein.

Conclusion:

A 12-week cardiac rehabilitation programme of aerobic and resistance training significantly reduces arterial stiffness and improves aerobic fitness in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Dispositional Mindfulness and Adjustment to University
Authors: Mettler Jessica , Carsley Dana , Joly Mélanie , Heath Nancy L.
Published: January 2017

The transition to university is a stressful period for young adults; however, there has been limited research examining the predictive role of dispositional mindfulness in supporting first-year students’ adjustment to university. The current study sought to examine the relative contribution of gender, self-efficacy, perceived social support from friends and family, and dispositional mindfulness to domains of university adjustment (academic, social, personal or emotional, and institutional attachment). The sample consisted of 101 first-year university students (73% female; M = 18.20 years, SD = 0.79) and all data were collected using an online survey. Findings revealed dispositional mindfulness significantly predicted university adjustment even when controlling for self-efficacy and perceived social support. The present study is the first to provide empirical support for the protective role of dispositional mindfulness in university adjustment.
Advising Students for Success in Higher Education: An All-Out Effort
Authors: Zhang Xihui , Gossett Carol , Simpson Jill , Davis Ron
Published: January 2017

Advising students for success in higher education has always been an important and challenging task. This becomes even more critical nowadays as most higher education institutions are trying to boost their enrollment and improve their retention so that they can be self-sufficient financially and sustainable economically. Research studies on student advising in higher education are abundant. A comprehensive literature review, however, shows that these research studies tend to be myopic in scope and quantitative in methodology. In this research, we attempt to depict a holistic view of an all-out effort on advising students for success, by describing practical approaches and collecting relevant narratives at four levels, including university, college, department, and faculty. It is our hope that this research can help people—whether they are school administrators, faculty members, or college students—have a holistic view of student advising and be successful in their role in higher education.
Career Development for Women Veterans
Authors: Greer Tomika W.
Published: January 2017

The Problem

Women veterans suffer from higher unemployment rates than their male counterparts. This is especially true among women veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although scholars and practitioners recognize the disparity in employment between men veterans and women veterans, there has been little attention given to addressing this gap to improve the employment situation for women veterans. Furthermore, many of the existing policies and programs designed to assist veterans with civilian employment pursuits are targeted toward men veterans and have proven to be less effective for enhancing employability of women veterans. This is a critical HRD issue due to HRD’s interest in career development and the role of HRD professionals in assisting more women veterans in gaining civilian employment.

The Solution

Toward a remedy for improving unemployment rates for women veterans, this article contains a review of literature focused on exploring barriers to employment among women veterans and strategies for overcoming these barriers. Within this study, the specific needs of women veterans are explored in relation to their employability. Ultimately, this article highlights practical solutions in accordance with transition theory to the growing problem of unemployment among women veterans. These solutions are useful for HRD professionals to assist with successful transitions to civilian employment for women veterans.

The Stakeholders

This article will be of interest to HRD scholars and practitioners who are concerned with the well-being and employability of women veterans. The information contained in this article will be helpful to counselors and other professionals who are assisting women veterans in their transition to the civilian workforce.
Understanding the Process of Transfer of Training in a Military Context
Authors: Dirani Khalil
Published: January 2017

The Problem

The learning transfer literature is mainly concerned with understanding what transfer of learning is, factors affecting the transfer, and measurements of transfer factors. Researchers have identified variables likely to foster transfer such as supervisor and peer support, role ambiguity, negative change, job stress, intrinsic and extrinsic incentives, relevance of training content, goal-setting posttraining interventions, and self-efficacy, among others. Traditional learning transfer models such as Baldwin and Ford model or the Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI) are frequently used to measure factors affecting transfer of training and to help human resource development (HRD) practitioners move beyond the question of whether training works to why training works. Transfer models over the past 20 years have been used to assess transfer systems, including factors at the individual, group, and organization levels, that influence transfer of training to job performance. However, little space has been dedicated to the process of transfer and factors associated to transfer in a military context, and little attention has been given to understanding other factors, not included in traditional transfer models in assisting veterans’ transition from the military to civilian workforce.

The Solution

This work used self-reported data from military-turned-civilian employees who were interviewed to understand the process of training transfer and to learn about the extent they were able to transfer the skills and knowledge learned in military training to their workplace. The study explored factors likely to influence training transfer from military learning cultures to civilian organizations. Results provided a better understanding on how HRD scholars and practitioners can work with, and prepare, individuals to successfully transition from a military life to the civilian workforce. A variety of individual and organizational themes emerged from the data analysis including factors such as adult learning principles, motivation to transfer, individual and organizational engagement, and roles of veterans, peers, and supervisors.

The Stakeholders

Human resource and organization developers working with military contexts will find this information particularly useful as well as scholars interested in investigating the transfer of training framework.
Effective Word Reading Instruction: What Does the Evidence Tell Us?
Authors: Henbest Victoria S. , Apel Kenn
Published: January 2017

This article is a report of recent evidence on methods for teaching young and struggling readers to read words. Specifically, evidence comparing synthetic and analytic phonics instruction was reviewed as well as the benefit of instruction in encoding and morphological awareness. The evidence reviewed suggests that instruction in synthetic and analytic phonics are both effective methods for teaching word reading to young and struggling readers and the inclusion of encoding in early reading instruction may provide added benefit. Furthermore, several investigations have found instruction in morphological awareness to be beneficial for improving young students’ word reading. More research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of incorporating encoding and morphological awareness instruction into early reading programs.
Anatomically Realistic Simulations of Liver Ablation by Irreversible Electroporation: Impact of Blood Vessels on Ablation Volumes and Undertreatment
Authors: Qasrawi Radwan , Silve Louis , Burdío Fernando , Abdeen Ziad , Ivorra Antoni
Published: January 2017

Irreversible electroporation is a novel tissue ablation technique which entails delivering intense electrical pulses to target tissue, hence producing fatal defects in the cell membrane. The present study numerically analyzes the potential impact of liver blood vessels on ablation by irreversible electroporation because of their influence on the electric field distribution. An anatomically realistic computer model of the liver and its vasculature within an abdominal section was employed, and blood vessels down to 0.4 mm in diameter were considered. In this model, the electric field distribution was simulated in a large series of scenarios (N = 576) corresponding to plausible percutaneous irreversible electroporation treatments by needle electrode pairs. These modeled treatments were relatively superficial (maximum penetration depth of the electrode within the liver = 26 mm) and it was ensured that the electrodes did not penetrate the vessels nor were in contact with them. In terms of total ablation volume, the maximum deviation caused by the presence of the vessels was 6%, which could be considered negligible compared to the impact by other sources of uncertainty. Sublethal field magnitudes were noticed around vessels covering volumes of up to 228 mm3. If in this model the blood was substituted by a liquid with a low electrical conductivity (0.1 S/m), the maximum volume covered by sublethal field magnitudes was 3.7 mm3 and almost no sublethal regions were observable. We conclude that undertreatment around blood vessels may occur in current liver ablation procedures by irreversible electroporation. Infusion of isotonic low conductivity liquids into the liver vasculature could prevent this risk.
Vitamin D alteration associated with obesity and bariatric surgery
Authors: Lespessailles Eric , Toumi Hechmi
Published: January 2017

Obesity and severe obesity constitute growing serious health problems reaching epidemic proportion in most countries. Interactions and relationships between obesity and bone tissue and its metabolism are complex but are more and more studied and recognized. Obesity is associated with an altered hormonal profile including particularly bone-regulating hormones like vitamin D. Bariatric surgery procedures, thanks to their effectiveness to achieve therapeutic endpoints for comorbidities associated with obesity, have had an increasing success. However, these surgeries by producing mechanical restriction and or malabsorption syndrome lead to nutritional deficiencies including vitamin D. In this review, we aim to (1) discuss the nutritional deficiency of vitamin D in the obese, (2) to summarize the different surgical options in bariatric surgery and to present the evidence concerning these procedures and their associated profile in vitamin D post-operative insufficiency, (3) to present the different recommendations in clinical practice to prevent or treat vitamin D deficiencies or insufficiencies in patients treated by bariatric surgery and finally to introduce emerging assumptions on the relationship between vitamin D, microbiota composition and circulating bile acids.

Impact statement

Obesity and severe obesity constitute growing serious health problems reaching epidemic proportion in most countries with a prevalence increasing from 6.4 in 1975 to 14.9% in 2014. This present review summarizes currently available data on vitamin D deficiencies in the obese population before and after bariatric surgery. The important evidence emerging from our evaluation confirms that obese patients are at risk of multiple nutritional deficiencies, especially vitamin D deficiency, before bariatric surgery. Our survey confirms that the precise role of the gut microbiome and its associated changes on the vitamin D metabolism after the different bariatric surgery procedures has not yet been studied. Furthermore, whether differences in the microbiota may alter the therapeutic responses to vitamin D is not known.
New methods for monitoring mitochondrial biogenesis and mitophagy in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Williams Jessica A , Zhao Katrina , Jin Shengkan , Ding Wen-Xing
Published: January 2017

Removal of damaged mitochondria through mitophagy is critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis and functions. Increasing evidence implicates mitophagy in red blood cell differentiation, neurodegeneration, macrophage-mediated inflammation, ischemia, adipogenesis, drug-induced tissue injury, and cancer. Considerable progress has been made toward understanding the biochemical mechanisms involved in mitophagy regulation. However, few reliable assays to monitor and quantify mitophagy have been developed, particularly in vivo. In this review, we summarize the recent development of three assays, MitoTimer, mt-Keima and mito-QC, for monitoring and quantifying mitophagy in cells and in animal tissues. We also discuss the advantages and limitations of these three assays when using them to monitor and quantify mitophagy.

Impact statement

Removal of damaged mitochondria through mitophagy is critical for maintaining cellular homeostasis and functions. However, reliable quantitative assays to monitor mitophagy, particularly in vivo, are just emerging. This review will summarize the current novel quantitative assays to monitor mitophagy in vivo.
The Society of Arts and the Challenge of Professional Music Education in 1860s Britain
Authors: Golding Rosemary
Published: January 2017

Higher-level music education was in a poor state in mid-nineteenth-century Britain. In particular, the country’s most significant conservatoire, the Royal Academy of Music in London, suffered from a lack of financial support, poor management, and a reputation for mediocre teaching and amateurish standards. Responding to the need for an overhaul, the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce launched an investigation into the management of the Royal Academy of Music in 1865. The Society’s Committee interviewed a range of high-profile figures from Britain and abroad. The reports and debates that ensued cast light not only on the state of the Royal Academy but also on the organization of professional music training across the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe. Many of these discussions revealed important insights into attitudes toward musical training and its institutions, toward the music profession, and toward music itself. Musicians interviewed for the purpose of the Royal Academy report had varying opinions on the curriculum suitable for aspiring professional musicians, including the role of general education and theoretical music studies. The place of amateurs in such institutions was also an important part of the discussion, both in terms of the students admitted and institutional management. Fundamental divisions over the purpose and nature of professional-level education in music reflect both the changing nature of education and deep fractures in the music profession itself, offering valuable insights into the concerns and problems of the time.
Characterization of Planned and Unplanned 30-Day Readmissions Following Vascular Surgical Procedures
Authors: Tahhan Georges , Farber Alik , Shah Nishant K. , Krafcik Brianna M. , Sachs Teviah E. , Kalish Jeffrey A. , Peacock Matthew R. , Siracuse Jeffrey J.
Published: January 2017

Objective:

Thirty-day readmission is increasingly used as a quality of care indicator. Patients undergoing vascular surgery have historically been at high risk for readmission. We analyzed hospital readmission details to identify patients at high risk for readmission in order to better understand these readmissions and improve resource utilization in this patient population.

Methods:

A retrospective review and analysis of our medical center’s admission and discharge data were conducted from October 2012 to March 2015. All patients who were discharged from the vascular surgery service and subsequently readmitted as an inpatient within 30 days were included.

Results:

We identified 649 vascular surgery discharges with 135 (21%) readmissions. Common comorbidities were diabetes (56%), coronary artery disease (40%), congestive heart failure (CHF; 24%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (19%). Index vascular operations included open lower extremity procedures (39%), diagnostic angiograms (35%), endovascular lower extremity procedures (16%), dialysis access procedures (7%), carotid/cerebrovascular procedures (7%), amputations (6%), and abdominal aortic procedures (5%). Average index length of stay (LOS) was 7.48 days (±6.73 days). Reasons for readmissions were for medical causes (43%), surgical complications (35.5%), and planned procedures (21.5%). Reasons for medical readmissions most commonly included malaise or failure to thrive (28%), unrelated infection (24%), and hypoxia/CHF complications (21%). Common surgical causes for readmission were surgical site infections (69%), graft failure (19%), and bleeding complications (8%). Of the planned readmissions, procedures were at the same site (79%), a different site (14%), and planned podiatry procedures (7%). Readmission LOS was on average 7.43 days (±7.22 days).

Conclusion:

Causes for readmission of vascular surgery patients are multifactorial. Infections, both related and unrelated to the surgical site, remain common reasons for readmission and represent an opportunity for improvement strategies. Improved understanding of readmissions following vascular surgery could help adjust policy benchmarks for targeted readmission rates and help reduce resource utilization.
Transcatheter Embolization of Type I Endoleaks Associated With Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Using Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer
Authors: Graif Assaf , Vance Ansar Z. , Garcia Mark J. , Lie Kevin T. , McGarry Michael K. , Leung Daniel A.
Published: January 2017

Purpose:

To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and outcome of transcatheter embolization using ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) of type I endoleaks associated with endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

Patient Population and Methods:

Retrospective chart review was performed to identify 8 consecutive patients who had undergone EVOH embolization for type I endoleaks between 2012 and 2015. The primary approach used to access the endoleak was the perigraft technique, where the endoleak itself is catheterized at the anastomotic site.

Results:

Six type Ia and 2 type Ib endoleaks were treated. In 2 patients, a direct transabdominal approach was used to access the endoleak because it was inaccessible via the perigraft approach. Coils were used in addition to EVOH in 5 cases. Residual endoleak was noted in 1 case, whereas 2 patients developed a recurrent type I endoleak during follow-up. No EVOH complications were observed. The 5 remaining patients demonstrated freedom from endoleak and reintervention at a mean follow-up of 6.9 months.

Conclusion:

Type I endoleaks can be safely and effectively treated by embolotherapy with EVOH. Larger endoleaks resulting from grossly undersized endografts appear to be unsuitable for EVOH embolization.