bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Re-Innovation of Learner-Centered Pedagogy in Tanzania’s Secondary Schools
Authors: Msonde Sydney Enock , Msonde Charles Enock
Published: June 2019

Although learner-centered instruction (LCI) is at the heart of many curriculum innovations in the world, its implementation has generally lacked the kind prominence it deserves. The current study explores how learning study can develop teachers’ professional capabilities to practice LCI. Using interviews, lesson preparatory meetings, teachers’ reflective journals, and classroom observations, the study employed the phenomenographic variation framework and coding strategies to analyze the resultant data. The results demonstrate that the teachers’ understanding of LCI morphed from considering it as a methodological orientation to an object of learning. Therefore, engaging teachers in learning study may bring out valuable pedagogical innovations essential in boosting both the job performance and quality of teaching and learning outcomes.
Promoting Sophisticated Word Use in the Elementary Music Classroom
Authors: Rifai Ayah
Published: June 2019

Because acquisition of vocabulary has been shown to affect reading comprehension and verbal capacity, one initiative that has gained momentum in elementary schools is the promotion of sophisticated words across grade levels. Music teachers, like other educators, should provide a vocabulary-rich environment to encourage the use of academic language by all students. This article presents reasons for increasing children’s lexicons in any instructional setting and then offers strategies for inspiring word consciousness and integrating academic terms during instruction so that they become part of students’ quotidian language. Sample lists of terms are included.
Equity in Music Education: Sustaining the Courage to Change
Authors: Salvador Karen
Published: June 2019

By examining beliefs and values and striving to enact these mindsets in classroom practices, music educators can find the inner strength to persist and even create change toward more inclusive and equitable music education. Considering the views of some thinkers on the topics of justice, inclusion, and honesty and how to achieve these in life and work can lead to self-evaluation and possible change.
Health and Wellness for In-Service and Future Music Teachers: Developing a Self-Care Plan
Authors: Kuebel Christa
Published: June 2019

Researchers have published an increasing number of reports about undergraduate music students suffering from depression, anxiety, and stress as well as of in-service teachers’ experiences with burnout. Whether an undergraduate music student, a teacher, or a teacher educator, those in our profession need to increase awareness of the prevalence of stress and mental health concerns in music education. Along with presenting information to increase mental health literacy, this article discusses the use of self-care as a form of stress reduction among current and future music educators.
Developing Growth Mindset in the Ensemble Rehearsal
Authors: Adams Kari
Published: June 2019

Growth mindset, or the belief that talents and abilities are malleable and can grow, is known to hold immense benefits in the world of education. What benefits could it hold for our students’ musical growth as well? This article explores the many benefits of instilling a growth mindset into our ensembles by examining research in educational psychology and general music. This article provides an overview of the benefits of a growth mindset as well as strategies to help ensemble instructors implement the concept into the classroom.
Eurhythmics, Sufficient Space, and the Role of Environment in the Child’s Development
Authors: Jacobi Bonnie Schaffhauser
Published: June 2019

Sufficient space is integral to high-quality music instruction, but what makes our space “sufficient”? This article provides historical and theoretical background about the role of space in learning and the use of movement as a tool for learning music. When their input is sought, children order space as a high priority within a school and frequently reference aesthetic aspects of the environment. The structure of the educational philosophy of Reggio Emilia (a municipality in northern Italy) is proposed as a model for ways that music educators can envision learning space. By elevating the classroom environment to the level of a “third educator” and inviting input from the child, we may be able to better address challenges of space and build music-learning environments that exceed “sufficiency.”
Parental Involvement in National EFL Test Preparation
Authors: Dawadi Saraswati
Published: June 2019

Parents, one of the primary stakeholders in their child’s performance in tests, can play a vital role in assessment. As these high-stakes tests are likely to bring life-changing consequences to students’ lives, most parents try their best to help their children to prepare for them. However, almost no research has explored the nature of parental involvement (PI) in preparing for high-stakes tests. This article reports on a study that explored PI in preparing their children for a national level English as a foreign language (EFL) test in the Nepalese context. Data was generated through a survey of 247 students, 72 oral diary entries and 24 interviews with six students and their parents. The data indicated a high level of PI in their children’s test preparation. Parents supported their children in various ways, such as creating a conducive learning environment at home, collaborating with neighbours and relatives, sharing their experiences, and teaching test preparation strategies. Parents even pressured their children into working for the test by controlling their non-academic lives in such a way that, during the test preparation time, children were not allowed to play and their time for sleeping was curtailed. A clear difference could be observed between the parents with university degrees and those who were illiterate in terms of the strategies they used to support their children in preparing for the test.
Violence in international relations: The first and the last word
Authors: Wight Colin
Published: June 2019

This article examines change and continuity in the function, role and moral judgement of violence in international relations. In terms of change, the conclusions are mostly pessimistic if the aim is the complete eradication of political violence. The control of violence, on the other hand, and the ability to hold those who employ it to increasing moral and legal standards is perhaps one of the most significant changes in international relations from 1919 to 2019. However, this does not mean that violence has been replaced or even transformed. Violence is constitutive of the political. It is the first and the last word in politics. This is the continuity of violence. Violence, of which war is only the most visceral expression, has not been transformed or replaced, but rather it has been displaced into legal systems, institutional orders and new forms of conflict. Inter-state war may be in decline, but intra-state conflict is rising. To develop this argument, the article argues that change can only be understood as change against a horizon of continuity.
The Use of Published Articles With Questionable Conclusions in a Research Methods Course
Authors: Bizer George Y.
Published: June 2019

Reading and critiquing journal articles is a way in which instructors can promote learning and critical thought among students, particularly in the undergraduate research methods course. However, articles that have survived the peer-review process are often lengthy and have only nuanced drawbacks, rendering them less useful for such pedagogical purposes. Students read a series published articles that are brief and have fundamental methodological or other concerns that render their conclusions questionable. After students read each article, the instructor leads a discussion in which students debate the article’s benefits and drawbacks. Assessment indicated that the activities increased students’ understanding of the course material and that students found the activities to be educational and enjoyable.
Categorization of Tinnitus Severity for the Mandarin Tinnitus Questionnaire
Authors: Meng Zhaoli , Zhao Fei , Chen Zhenxi , Zheng Yun
Published: June 2019

Background:

The Tinnitus Questionnaire is commonly used to evaluate the psychological impact of tinnitus and has been translated into Mandarin. The original English version of the Tinnitus Questionnaire was translated into Mandarin (Mandarin Tinnitus Questionnaire [MTQ]). The MTQ included not the same items compared with original version. Thus, MTQ should have its own severity categorization.

Aims/Objectives:

The objective of this research was to develop a method to categorize tinnitus patients by clinical severity using scores from the MTQ.

Material and Methods:

A total of 192 participants with primary complaint of tinnitus were enrolled. Cross-tabulation was used to compare 2 categorization approaches of tinnitus severity. With the first approach, categories were assigned based purely on quartiles of MTQ scores. In the second approach, severity was determined based on ordinal logistic regression. The 2 approaches were verified by comparing the consistency with clinical judgment.

Results:

Categorization based on quartiles showed low consistency with clinical assessment (κ = 0.33), while categorization based on ordinal logistic regression showed good consistency with clinical assessment (κ = 0.86). Regression-based MTQ score cutoffs were <21 for no problem with tinnitus, 21 to 36 for mild tinnitus, 37 to 47 for moderate tinnitus, and >47 for severe tinnitus.

Conclusions and Significance:

Tinnitus severity can be categorized accurately using ordinal logistic regression analysis of MTQ scores.
Technology acceptance of older persons living in residential care
Authors: Jarvis Mary-Ann , Sartorius Benn , Chipps Jennifer
Published: June 2019

The social, psychological, physical, and financial benefits of digital inclusion are of increasing importance for older persons. However, older persons are often less inclined to utilise technological communication with reports of perceived poor technology acceptance. In this context, a study was conducted to investigate communication technology acceptance in older persons living in residential care. A cross sectional survey of residents (≥60 yrs) of four inner city residences in Durban, South Africa was conducted to assess communication technology access and technology acceptance defined as Usage Behaviour. A researcher-administered questionnaire was based on the Senior Technology Acceptance Model (STAM). Descriptive statistics of STAM factors and structural equation model (SEM) were conducted to test this model, to quantify the importance of various technology acceptance factors on Usage Behaviour among older persons living in residential care. The survey had a 72.1% response rate (n=277). Most of the respondents owned mobile phones (87.6%), although there was low smartphone ownership. Family desire to communicate and ease of use motivated mobile phone acquisition. Behaviour Intention, Facilitating Conditions, Attitude to Life and Satisfaction and education level were significantly associated with Usage Behaviour. Gerontechnology Anxiety and Age showed significant negative associations with Usage Behaviour. The acceptance of communication technology in this setting was low and predominantly influenced by Attitudinal and Technological Context factors together with age and education.
Factors affecting the intention to adopt e-government services in Malawi and the role played by donors
Authors: Ziba Patrick W , Kang Juyoung
Published: June 2019

Despite many papers written on the adoption of e-government services in developing countries, authors have not approached their articles empirically. For those that have, obvious constructs critical to the development of e-government in developing countries were overlooked. This paper extends the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework with a decomposed theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the technological acceptance model (TAM); it is guided by stimulus-organism-response (SOR) in its attempt to develop a successful model that can be used to study factors affecting the adoption of e-government services in Malawi, while taking into account missed constructs. Donor support was hypothesized to moderate the effect of e-government funding on perceived behavior control. Data were collected from 259 Malawian public servants, and structural equation modeling was used to evaluate factors affecting e-government services adoption. The study reveals that there is a need for the Malawian government to fund e-government projects to reduce over-reliance on donors.
A physical activity program is no more effective than standard care at maintaining upper limb activity in community-dwelling people with stroke: secondary outcomes from a randomized trial
Authors: Langhammer Birgitta , Ada Louise , Gunnes Mari , Ihle-Hansen Hege , Indredavik Bent , Askim Torunn
Published: June 2019

Objective:

To evaluate whether an 18-month, physical activity coaching program is more effective than standard care in terms of upper-limb activity.

Design:

A prospective, randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Three municipalities in Norway.

Population:

A total of 380 persons with stroke.

Intervention:

The intervention group received follow-up visits and coaching on physical activity and exercise each month for 18 months after inclusion, by a physiotherapist. The control group received standard care.

Main measures:

The primary outcome, in this secondary analysis, was Motor Assessment Scale items 6, 7, and 8. Secondary outcomes were National Institute of Health Stroke Scale item 5, the Stroke Impact Scale domain 7, and the Modified Ashworth Scale in flexion/extension of the elbow.

Results:

In total, 380 persons with stroke were recruited, with mean (SD) age 72 (11) years, and baseline scores total National Institute of Health Stroke Scale was 1.4 (2.2)/1.6 (2.4) and Motor Assessment Scale items 6, 7 and 8 in the intervention/control group was 5.5 (1.2)/5.5 (1.2), 5.4 (1.4)/5.4 (1.3), and 3.6 (2)/3.5 (2), respectively. There was no significant difference between groups in terms of upper limb function in any of the Motor Assessment Scale items. In this population with minor stroke, upper-limb activity was good at three months post-stroke (74% of the maximum) and remained good 18 months later (77% of maximum).

Conclusion:

After intervention, there was no difference between the groups in terms of upper-limb activity.
Consumer and carer leadership in palliative care academia and practice: A systematic review with narrative synthesis
Authors: Scholz Brett , Bevan Alan , Georgousopoulou Ekavi , Collier Aileen , Mitchell Imogen
Published: June 2019

Background:

Contemporary health policies call for consumers to be part of all aspects of service planning, implementation, delivery and evaluation. The extent to which consumers are part of the systemic decision-making levels of palliative care appears to vary between and within services and organisations.

Aim:

The aim of this systematic review is to develop understandings about consumer and carer leadership in palliative care.

Design:

A systematic, narrative synthesis approach was adopted due to the heterogeneity of included studies. The review was registered on PROSPERO prospectively (PROSPERO 2018 CRD42018111625).

Data sources:

PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO were searched for all studies published in English specifically focusing on consumers’ leadership in palliative care organisations and systems. Articles were appraised for quality using a modified JBI-QARI tool.

Results:

Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria and quality assessment. Consumers are currently involved in leadership of palliative care teaching, research and services. Findings highlight the benefits of consumer leadership in palliative care including more relevant, higher-quality services, teaching and research. Across the included studies, it was not clear the extent to which consumer leaders had influence in relation to setting agendas across the palliative care sector.

Conclusion:

The findings suggest that more could be done to support consumer leadership within palliative care. Academics and clinicians might improve the relevance of their work if they are able to more meaningfully partner with consumers in systemic roles in palliative care.
Measurement of cerebral ABCC1 transport activity in wild-type and APP/PS1-21 mice with positron emission tomography
Authors: Zoufal Viktoria , Mairinger Severin , Krohn Markus , Wanek Thomas , Filip Thomas , Sauberer Michael , Stanek Johann , Kuntner Claudia , Pahnke Jens , Langer Oliver
Published: June 2019

Previous data suggest a possible link between multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (ABCC1) and brain clearance of beta-amyloid (Aβ). We used PET with 6-bromo-7-[11C]methylpurine ([11C]BMP) to measure cerebral ABCC1 transport activity in a beta-amyloidosis mouse model (APP/PS1-21) and in wild-type mice aged 50 and 170 days, without and with pretreatment with the ABCC1 inhibitor MK571. One hundred seventy days-old-animals additionally underwent [11C]PiB PET scans to measure Aβ load. While baseline [11C]BMP PET scans detected no differences in the elimination slope of radioactivity washout from the brain (kelim) between APP/PS1-21 and wild-type mice of both age groups, PET scans after MK571 pretreatment revealed significantly higher kelim values in APP/PS1-21 mice than in wild-type mice aged 170 days, suggesting increased ABCC1 activity. The observed increase in kelim occurred across all investigated brain regions and was independent of the presence of Aβ plaques measured with [11C]PiB. Western blot analysis revealed a trend towards increased whole brain ABCC1 levels in 170 days-old-APP/PS1-21 mice versus wild-type mice and a significant positive correlation between ABCC1 levels and kelim. Our data point to an upregulation of ABCC1 in APP/PS1-21 mice, which may be related to an induction of ABCC1 in astrocytes as a protective mechanism against oxidative stress.
“I Would Just Feel Really Relaxed and at Peace”: Findings From a Pilot Prison Yoga Program in Australia
Authors: Bartels Lorana , Oxman Lisa N. , Hopkins Anthony
Published: June 2019

International research provides support for yoga as a well-being intervention in prison. No systematic research has been undertaken in Australia to assess the effectiveness of prison yoga programs. In 2017, the authors, in partnership with Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Corrective Services and the Yoga Foundation, introduced a weekly pilot yoga program at the ACT prison. This article presents quantitative and qualitative findings from the program. Although the small sample size ( n = 8) is acknowledged, our findings indicate that participants attained statistically and clinically significant benefit from the program, demonstrated by improvements in their levels of depression, anxiety, self-esteem, goal-direction, negative affect, and non-acceptance. They also reported improved flexibility, sleep and relaxation, pain reduction, and identified improvements in their mental well-being, commenting that the program made them feel “calm” and “at peace.” The article concludes by advocating for the expansion of such programs in Australian prisons and further research on such programs.
Economic geography and the regulatory state: Asymmetric marketization of social housing in England
Authors: Clegg Liam
Published: June 2019

The 2011 Affordable Homes Programme introduced dramatic reductions in the level of government grant for new-build construction by housing associations, with an expectation that associations’ rents would rise towards market rates to compensate. Through this paper, I explore London-based associations’ use of cross-subsidy from commercial sale and rental operations to ameliorate the push towards higher rents for social housing. I characterize the spatially variegated response to the Affordable Homes Programme as ‘asymmetric marketization’. The case illustrates the value of bridging between economic geography literatures that acknowledge spatial variation in state–market constellations but offers less developed insights on modes of marketization, and political science literature on the regulatory state that offers a useful framework for disaggregating between modes of marketization but which has overlooked the issue of spatial variation. The significance of this asymmetric marketization is heightened by ongoing concerns over the sustainability of London-based housing associations’ commercial activities, and by the possible extension of commercial-to-social cross-subsidization across other national housing systems.
Advanced Vehicle Miles Traveled Estimation Methods for Non-Federal Aid System Roadways Using GPS Vehicle Trajectory Data and Statistical Power Analysis
Authors: Nasri Arefeh , Zhang Lei , Fan Junchuan , Stewart Kathleen , Younes Hannah , Fu Cheng , Jessberger Steven
Published: June 2019

It is of interest to federal and state agencies to develop an advanced uniform method for estimation of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on local roads which can be used as a guideline for agencies nationwide. The purpose of this study is to propose advanced innovative approaches for estimating VMT on local roads and analyze the feasibility of applying these methods. The paper presents a methodology and procedure for estimating local road VMT using GPS vehicle trajectory data and an all-street road network and expands these methodologies and results to determine the minimum required GPS sample size. The Federal Highway Administration and other transportation agencies may consider using these methodologies as a future guide to update VMT estimates with minimal additional cost requirements. The key finding of the research is that it is feasible to use new GPS vehicle trajectory data to estimate VMT on non-Federal Aid System roadways. The sample size of this data allows the application of this new method across the nation. The accuracy of this method was tested for the State of Maryland. Once such statewide GPS data is obtained by a given state, the methodology can be easily applied to that state as well.
Assessing Freeze-Thaw Damage in Segmental Retaining Walls Units by Mass Loss, Moisture Gain, and Relative Dynamic Modulus
Authors: Chan Cesar T. , Hover Kenneth C.
Published: June 2019

Segmental retaining walls (SRWs) constructed of dry-cast concrete masonry units are used in transportation-related applications for which freeze-thaw (FT) durability is evaluated on the basis of percent mass-loss accumulated after multiple FT cycles as per ASTM C1262. This study compared mass loss, mass gain owing to absorption during (FT) exposure, and relative dynamic modulus (RDM) as per ASTM C215. Application of RDM required accounting for the influence of the shape and moisture content of SRW coupons on resonant frequency, with corrections that are likewise applicable to ASTM C666 for ordinary concrete. It was demonstrated that mass loss does not exclusively indicate surface damage, and the relationship between mass loss and RDM is unique to each specimen. Mass gain (as moisture absorption) during testing emerged as a key index of damage, with rapid escalation of mass loss and reduction in RDM at the number of FT cycles required to increase the moisture content of the residual coupon by about 1%.
Evaluation of Clustered Traffic Inputs for Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design: Case Study in New Jersey
Authors: Jasim Abbas F. , Wang Hao , Bennert Thomas
Published: June 2019

Truck traffic is one of the significant inputs in design and analysis of pavement structures. This paper focuses on comprehensive cluster analysis of truck traffic in New Jersey for implementation of mechanistic-empirical pavement design. Multiple year traffic data were collected from a large number of weigh-in-motion stations across New Jersey. Statistical analysis was first conducted to analyze directional and temporal (yearly) variations of traffic data. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted and three optimum clusters were found for axle load spectra (single, tandem, tridem), vehicle class distribution, and axle/truck ratio, respectively. Road functional classifications were employed to identify different clusters as no common geographic trend could be perceived. The results illustrate that the predicted performance using the site-specific traffic data is comparable with that using the traffic cluster for the selected 10 sites. Among four different traffic inputs, the cluster traffic inputs generated the closest predictions of pavement life as compared with those using site-specific traffic input and the default traffic inputs yielded the highest error. It is recommended to use traffic clusters in mechanistic-empirical pavement design when site-specific data is unavailable.
Subsequent Injury Risk Is Elevated Above Baseline After Return to Play: A 5-Year Prospective Study in Elite Australian Football
Authors: Stares Jordan J. , Dawson Brian , Peeling Peter , Heasman Jarryd , Rogalski Brent , Fahey-Gilmour Jack , Dupont Gregory , Drew Michael K. , Welvaert Marijke , Toohey Liam
Published: June 2019

Background:

The risk of sustaining a subsequent injury is elevated in the weeks after return to play (RTP) from an index injury. However, little is known about the magnitude, duration, and nature by which subsequent injury risk is increased.

Purpose:

To quantify and describe the risk of injury in a 12-week period after RTP from an index injury in Australian football players.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Injury data were collected from 79 players over 5 years at 1 Australian Football League club. Injuries were classified with the Orchard Sports Injury Classification System and by side of the body. Furthermore, injury severity was classified as time loss (resulting in ≥1 matches being missed) or non–time loss (no matches missed). Subsequent injury was categorized with the SIC-2.0 model and applied to the data set via an automated script. The probability of a time loss subsequent injury was calculated for in-season index injuries for each week of a 12-week period after RTP via a mixed effect logistic regression model.

Results:

Subsequent injury risk was found to be highest in the week of RTP for both time loss injuries (9.4%) and non–time loss injuries (6.9%). Risk decreased with each week survived after RTP; however, it did not return to baseline risk of participation (3.6%).

Conclusion:

These findings demonstrate that athletes returning to play are at an increased risk of injury for a number of weeks, thus indicating the requirement for tertiary prevention strategies to ensure that they survive this period.
Body Mass Index in Mother and Child Dyads and its Association With Household Size and Parents’ Education in 2 Urban Settings of Yucatan, Mexico
Authors: Cauich-Viñas Paulina , Azcorra Hugo , Rodríguez Luis , Banik Sudip Datta , Varela-Silva Maria Ines , Dickinson Federico
Published: June 2019

Background:

Overweight/obesity (OW/OB) coexists in mother–child dyads. However, a dearth of evidence on the factors associated with this phenomenon calls for research.

Objective:

To analyze the association of sociodemographic factors with OW/OB in a sample of 260 Maya mother–child dyads from Yucatan, Mexico.

Methods:

During 2011 to 2014, we measured height and weight in children and their mothers and calculated their body mass index (BMI). The OW/OB cutoff points were defined, for mothers, as having a BMI >25 kg/m2 and, for children, as having a BMI-for-age >2 standard deviation of the World Health Organization references. Mother–child dyads were grouped according to their BMI status: (1) normal weight mother and child, (2) normal weight mother and OW/OB child, (3) OW/OB mother and normal weight child, and (4) OW/OB mother and child. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to analyze the interrelationships among BMI status in mother–child dyads, household size, and parental education.

Results:

Overweight/obesity coexisted in 40% of dyads. Compared to normal weight dyads (1), each unit increase in household size and in years of maternal education decreased the risks of the coexistence of OW/OB in mother–child dyads (odds ratio [OR] = 0.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.55-0.94, P = .015; OR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.52-0.94, P = .019, respectively). Conversely, each year increase in paternal education increased the risk for OW/OB in dyads (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.08-1.99, P = .015).

Conclusions:

Results suggest that household size and parental education contribute to shape BMI-based nutritional status in this sample of mother–child dyads.
Validation of the UDL Reporting Criteria With Extant UDL Research
Authors: Rao Kavita , Ok Min Wook , Smith Sean J. , Evmenova Anna S. , Edyburn Dave
Published: June 2019

The Universal Design for Learning Reporting Criteria (UDL RC) were developed as an initiative of the UDL Implementation and Research Network (UDL-IRN) Research Committee. The UDL RC, available for free download on the UDL-IRN website, are a set of guidelines that support the design and dissemination of UDL research by presenting minimal criteria for reporting on UDL components of a practice or intervention. This study sought to empirically evaluate the usability of the UDL RC by applying them to published studies to develop a shared understanding and interpretation of the criteria. Findings highlight key issues of interpretation when criteria are used in practice. Results illustrate that information on learner variability and design are often adequately addressed by the extant literature, whereas information on application and UDL-related outcomes are not as consistently reported. Implications of the UDL RC for practitioners, researchers, and editors are discussed.
Vascular endothelial growth factor-loaded elastin-hydrogel modification of the pericardium improves endothelialization potential of bioprosthetic heart valves
Authors: Lei Lang , Tao Xin , Xie Lifeng , Hong Zhengdong
Published: June 2019

Glutaraldehyde-fixed pericardium is widely used to replace human heart valves. The lack of endothelialization contributes to calcification and structural-valve deterioration, which is particularly significant in young patients where valve longevity is crucial. This current study demonstrates an optimized approach to improve endothelialization of glutaraldehyde-fixed pericardium. Vascular endothelial growth factor-loaded elastin-hydrogel-hybrid pericardium was developed by the crosslinking reaction between the amine groups of soluble elastin and hexamethylene diisocyanate. The elastin solution can penetrate the space of the pericardium. Vascular endothelial growth factor was loaded into the elastin hydrogel, which was hybridized with pericardium via in situ polymerization. We investigated the adhesion and growth potential of human umbilical vein endothelial cells on pericardia, platelet adhesion, and calcification via an in vivo rat model of subdermal implantation. Vascular endothelial growth factor-loaded elastin-hydrogel-hybrid pericardium showed improved human umbilical vein endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation, less platelet adhesion, and less calcification. Thus, the vascular endothelial growth factor-loaded elastin-hydrogel-hybrid pericardium is a promising approach to obtain valve bioprostheses for clinical applications with increased endothelialization, antithrombotic and anti-calcification potential.
Fibrin matrix containing high-dose calcitriol promotes the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by sustainably releasing calcitrol and D-dimer
Authors: Hu Pingping , Fang Dong , Shen Liping , Zhou Huangao , Shao Rui , Chen Miao , Yao Chenghu , Shi Yang , Chen Qian
Published: June 2019

The dose of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol or VD), a promising therapeutic agent for gastric cancer, is limited by hypercalcemia if administered systemically. Here we explored the feasibility of applying fibrin matrix as high-dose VD carrier for topical application. Our results indicated that VD did not significantly alter the morphological, rheological and degradation characteristics of fibrin matrix except decreasing gelation time by its solvent DMSO. Furthermore, VD could be sustainably released from fibrin for more than 96 hours. Most importantly, fibrin containing high-dose VD increased gastric cancer cells apoptosis in contrast to VD alone of the same concentration, which might be due to the synergistic effects of sustained release of VD and D-dimer, the degradation products of fibrin. This study suggests that local delivery of high-dose calcitriol carried by fibrin matrix might be a promising adjuvant therapy for gastric cancer surgery.
Trauma Symptoms Resulting From Sexual Violence Among Undergraduate Students: Differences Across Gender and Sexual Minority Status
Authors: Paquette Geneviève , Martin-Storey Alexa , Bergeron Manon , Dion Jacinthe , Daigneault Isabelle , Hébert Martine , Ricci Sandrine , Castonguay-Khounsombath Sonn
Published: June 2019

Experiencing sexual violence is an important risk factor for trauma symptoms, and these symptoms significantly impair psychosocial functioning. Sexual and gender minority university students are more likely than their heterosexual and cisgender peers to experience sexual violence (e.g., sexual harassment, unwanted sexual contact, or sexual coercion) while attending university, but research on the consequences of these experiences is needed to inform service provision to these vulnerable populations. Using a large-scale study of university-based sexual violence in Quebec, the current study examined how gender and sexual minority status were associated with the severity of trauma symptoms among students who experienced sexual violence ( N = 1,196). Findings indicated that compared with their cisgender peers, gender minority students experienced significantly higher levels of trauma symptoms as a result of sexual violence, controlling for the severity of sexual violence behaviors experienced and other variables. Among cisgender women, but not cisgender men, sexual minority identity was also associated with higher levels of trauma symptoms, controlling for severity of sexual violence behaviors experienced and other variables. Furthermore, gender of perpetrator and amount of sexual violence moderated the associations between sexual identity and trauma symptoms among cisgender women. These findings not only suggest that gender minority and some sexual minority university students are more likely to experience sexual violence, but that they are also more likely to experience negative psychological sequelae as a consequence of these experiences. Ultimately, these findings may suggest the need for services that are more supportive of the specific needs of gender and sexual minority students with regard to sexual violence.
On briefing the surface modifications of polylactic acid: A scope for betterment of biomedical structures
Authors: Mann Guravtar Singh , Singh Lakhwinder Pal , Kumar Parmod , Singh Sunpreet , Prakash Chander
Published: June 2019

Polylactic acid (PLA) has been attributed as one of the most significant biodegradable polymers that hold great potential to replace petroleum-based polymers in the near future. This has motivated the chemists, surgeons, industrial engineers as well as research scholars to consider PLA and its copolymers for various biomedical applications including scaffolds, sutures in tissue engineering, and drug carrier vessel for delivery. However, the intrinsic limitations of the PLA in terms of surface integrity, cell adhesion, and degradation are restricting the practical implication at par with the required capabilities. Therefore, in the present review article, an attempt has been made to categorize the various posttreatment processes which can benefit the users to eliminate the existing barriers. Along with, the impacts of the various classes of posttreatment technologies, for PLA and its composites, have been summarized on the basis of outcomes. Overall, the review article will provide technical pathways for the betterment of PLA with practical insights.
Modeling and characterization of mechanical and energetic elastoplastic behavior of lattice structures for aircrafts anti-icing systems
Authors: Pasquale Giorgio De , Tagliaferri Alberto
Published: June 2019

The design of lattice structures for additive manufacturing processes requires dedicated methods and tools able to reduce the computational heaviness of simulation and to predict accurately the global strength and strain energy dissipation and the stress distribution. Additionally, geometrical-related stress intensifications lead to local yielding regions and related plastic hinges which contribute to the deformation mechanisms. The use of cellular materials in heavy loaded structures has important role in lightered and hybrid components for aircrafts. In this paper, lattice structures are used as impact absorbers in aircrafts anti-icing systems to efficiently dissipate the kinetic energy. Some variants of lattice structures are analyzed by numerical simulations and experimental characterizations in the elastoplastic regime with the goal to correlate the equivalent material density, the structural strength, and the strain energy dissipation to cells shapes and dimensions.
Optimal profile design for rail grinding based on wheel–rail contact, stability, and wear development in high-speed electric multiple units
Authors: Xu Kai , Feng Zheng , Wu Hao , Xu Dongri , Li Fu , Shao Chenhui
Published: June 2019

High-speed electric multiple units have numerous advantages. However, a number of critical maintenance issues arise in the operation of high-speed electric multiple units. The previous researches about rail profile design usually take only a single type of wheel profile into account, which would cause some other problems such as severe increase of hollow wear on the wheels. This study systematically investigates the influence of rail grinding on running stability and wear development in high-speed electric multiple units and designs a new rail profile as reference for grinding that takes all types of vehicle wheels running on a specific line into account, in order to design a ground rail which could match the wheel profile and thus improve the running stability of electric multiple units. All types of wheel profiles used on the Wuhan–Guangzhou railway line are taken as the design reference. A wheel–rail wear simulation program is constructed based on CONTACT numerical simulation software and SIMPACK vehicle system dynamics software. The simulation results show that both the wheel–rail contact relationship and the running stability of high-speed electric multiple units improved after rail grinding. The results of the wheel wear analysis show that when the rail is ground to the target profile, after a running mileage of 200,000 km, the wear area of the new wheel profile LMA and the greatest hollow wear wheel profile LMA-25 decreases by 1.13 mm2 and 9.86 mm2, respectively. In addition, this method can prolong the wheel reprofiling interval. For the Wuhan–Guangzhou railway line, normally the grinding interval for the tangent track and large-radius curve is 2–3 years, and for the entering and exiting tunnel sections, the grinding interval should be set for 1–2 years, which could remove the damaged layer of the rail surface and could restore the designed profile of the rail and prolong the rail service life.
On the Generalization of Intergroup Contact: A Taxonomy of Transfer Effects
Authors: Meleady Rose , Crisp Richard J. , Hodson Gordon , Earle Megan
Published: June 2019

The contact hypothesis proposes that bringing groups together under favorable conditions can improve intergroup relations. It is now well established that intergroup contact can improve attitudes not only toward the out-group as a whole but also toward other, noncontacted groups ( secondary transfer effect). We review evidence of a further, higher-order generalization effect whereby intergroup contact also impacts more general cognitive processes outside of the intergroup context (i.e., tertiary transfer effects). We present a taxonomy of transfer effects that explains these generalization effects as distinct outcomes of the contact process yet contingent on the same component process, specifically, the assessment of the semantic distance between the target (e.g., contacted individual) and the frame (e.g., group prototype). This conceptualization provides an explanatory framework for uniting the disparate forms of transfer effect in the contact literature, clarifying why primary and secondary transfer effects are facilitated by low semantic distance and why contact is more cognitively demanding under conditions of high semantic distance, but with greater potential for cognitive growth.
Examining Parent Anger and Emotion Regulation in the Context of Intensive Parenting
Authors: Prikhidko Alena , Swank Jacqueline M.
Published: June 2019

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between intensive parenting attitudes (IPAs), emotion regulation (ER), and parent anger among mothers of young children ( N = 227). The researchers found that IPAs correlated with ER and parent anger. Moreover, essentialist and challenging parenting attitudes predicted anger experience, and cognitive reappraisal moderated the relationship between essentialism and anger experience. The authors discuss the limitations of the study and implications for research and practice.
Histopathological and Clinical Differences Between Primary Breast Carcinomas With Neuroendocrine Features and Primary Breast Carcinomas Mimicking Neuroendocrine Features
Authors: Kelten Talu Canan , Savli Taha Cumhan , Huq Gulben Erdem , Leblebici Cem
Published: June 2019

We aimed to determine the histopathological differences between primary breast carcinomas with neuroendocrine features (NEBC) and carcinomas mimicking neuroendocrine features (NEBC-like). Twenty-three cases with NEBC, all showing positive staining for synaptophysin and/or chromogranin-A in ≥50% of tumor cells and 36 cases with NEBC-like (no staining for neuroendocrine [NE] markers but suspicious for NE morphology in terms of solid/trabecular growth patterns) were included in the study. Significant differences were found between the groups in terms of the patients’ ages, histologic/nuclear grade of tumor, lymphovascular invasion, comedo-type ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), microcalcification, Ki-67 proliferation index, nuclear shape, and level of peritumoral lymphocytic infiltration. The presence of large-size solid cohesive groups of tumor cells; plasmocytoid, spindle, and/or columnar shapes of tumor cells; and eosinophilic-granular appearance of cytoplasm were mostly noted in the NEBC group. The presence of small- to medium-sized solid cohesive groups of tumor cells; high-grade histologic and nuclear features; clear cytoplasm; and round to ovoid nucleus were mostly noted in the NEBC-like group. No significant differences were found in terms of tumor size, ER/PR/HER2 status, as well as the presence of DCIS, elastosis, extracellular/intracellular mucin, signet ring cells, apocrine features, and accompanying papilloma or ductal ectasia. In conclusion, small- to medium-sized solid cohesive groups of tumor cells, high-grade features, clear cytoplasm, round to ovoid shape of nucleus, lymphovascular invasion, comedo-type DCIS, microcalcification, high level of Ki-67 proliferation index (≥20%), and moderate/strong level of peritumoral lymphocytic infiltration might support non-NE features in breast carcinomas.
The Effect of Formalin Fixation on Resection Margins in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Lam David , Kaneko Yui , Scarlett Adam , D’Souza Basil , Norris Richard , Woods Rodney
Published: June 2019

Resection margins in colorectal cancer carry clinical significance with regard to disease recurrence risk and selection for multimodal adjuvant therapy, especially with circumferential resection margins in rectal cancer. Colorectal cancer specimens are routinely fixed in formalin, which results in specimen and tumor-free margin shrinkage. However, the effects of shrinkage have not traditionally been taken into account when analyzing tumor-free margins. In this prospective study, 46 colorectal cancer specimens were measured in the fresh state and subsequently after formalin fixation for total specimen length, distal resection margin, and radial margin (circumferential resection margin for rectal cancer). The mean reduction after formalin fixation was 17.48 mm (14.7%) for distal resection margin and 1.20 mm (10.5%) for radial margin. For rectal cancer, circumferential resection margin reduction was 0.88 mm (11.8%); this was not affected by neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Duration of formalin fixation did not significantly affect the extent of margin shrinkage. This is the first study to evaluate the effect of formalin fixation on radial resection margins, specifically as it relates to rectal cancer, and it demonstrates that shrinkage from formalin fixation should be a consideration in decision-making where the magnitude of tumor-free margins is small.
Shifted Chebyshev schemes for solving fractional optimal control problems
Authors: Abdelhakem M , Moussa H , Baleanu D , El-Kady M
Published: June 2019

Two schemes to find approximated solutions of optimal control problems of fractional order (FOCPs) are investigated. Integration and differentiation matrices were used in these schemes. These schemes used Chebyshev polynomials in the shifted case as a functional approximation. The target of the presented schemes is to convert such problems to optimization problems (OPs). Numerical examples are included, showing the strength of the schemes.
Association of brain volume loss and long-term disability outcomes in patients with multiple sclerosis treated with teriflunomide
Authors: Sprenger Till , Kappos Ludwig , Radue Ernst-Wilhelm , Gaetano Laura , Mueller-Lenke Nicole , Wuerfel Jens , Poole Elizabeth M , Cavalier Steven
Published: June 2019

Background:

Teriflunomide 14 mg significantly reduced brain volume loss (BVL) and confirmed disability worsening (CDW) compared with placebo in the TEMSO core study.

Objective:

To investigate the relationship between BVL from Baseline to Year 2 in the TEMSO core study and long-term CDW (Year 7) in the TEMSO long-term extension (NCT00803049).

Methods:

Structural Image Evaluation using Normalization of Atrophy determined BVL. Long-term CDW was assessed by Expanded Disability Status Scale confirmed for 12 and 24 weeks. An additional analysis evaluated the relative contribution of BVL (Year 2) and other outcomes as potential mediators of the effect of teriflunomide 14 mg on 12-week CDW.

Results:

Patients with the least BVL were significantly less likely to have 12- and 24-week CDW at Year 7 compared with patients with the most BVL. A mediation analysis revealed that BVL (Year 2) explained 51.3% of the treatment effect on CDW; new or enlarging T2w lesions over 2 years explained 30.8%, and relapses in the first 2 years explained 38.5%.

Conclusions:

These results highlight the potential predictive value of BVL earlier in the disease course on long-term disability outcomes. The mediation analysis suggests that teriflunomide may prevent disability worsening largely through its effects on BVL.