bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Area-Level Normative Social Context and Intimate Partner Physical Violence in Mozambique
Authors: Cau Boaventura M.
Published: April 2017

Violence against women is considered a serious public health problem. It is estimated that about 30% of women who have been in a relationship in the world have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence from their intimate partners. In sub-Saharan Africa, one of the regions in the world with the highest prevalence of intimate partner violence, there have been studies of factors associated with intimate partner violence. However, few studies have explicitly examined the influence of the normative social context on women’s accepting attitudes toward spousal abuse and their risk of experiencing intimate partner violence in the region. Using data from the 2011 Demographic and Health Survey in Mozambique, we employ multilevel logistic regression to examine the influence of area-level normative social context factors on 4,864 women’s accepting attitudes toward spousal abuse and their likelihood of experiencing intimate partner physical violence in Mozambique. Our findings revealed the importance of religious norms in geographic areas as key predictors of women’s acceptance of intimate partner violence. Specifically, area-level normative religious predictors were negatively associated with women’s acceptance of spousal abuse. The prevalence of early marriages in a given geographic area was positively associated with both acceptance of spousal abuse and experiencing intimate partner physical violence. The level of female education in a geographic area was negatively associated with accepting spousal abuse and having experienced intimate partner physical violence. As intimate partner physical violence in sub-Saharan Africa continues unabated, programs and interventions to address the problem will need to consider the normative context of geographic areas.
Sexual Revictimization: A Routine Activity Theory Explanation
Authors: Culatta Elizabeth , Clay-Warner Jody , Boyle Kaitlin M. , Oshri Assaf
Published: April 2017

Research has shown that victims of sexual assault are at a significant risk of revictimization. We use routine activity theory to predict how sexual victimization in adolescence relates to depression, substance use, and ultimately revictimization as a young adult. We frame our research within routine activity theory and predict that sexual victimization increases substance use and depressive symptoms, both of which increase the likelihood of revictimization. We test the hypotheses with three waves of data from the Longitudinal Study of Violence Against Women. Using structural equation modeling, we examine the direct and indirect effects of previous sexual victimization, depressive symptoms, and substance use on the odds of victimization during the sophomore year of college. Results suggest that sexual victimization during the sophomore year of college is predicted directly by previous sexual victimization and also indirectly through depressive symptomology, though not substance use. Although understudied in the literature, depression is shown to mediate the relationship between victimization and revictimization, and this finding is consistent with routine activity theory, as well as the state dependence perspective on revictimization. Our findings suggest that depressive symptoms, a long acknowledged consequence of sexual victimization, should also be understood as a source of revictimization risk, indicating the importance of depression screening and intervention for decreasing sexual victimization.
Perceptions of women academics regarding work–life balance
Authors: Naz Sadaf , Fazal Shawana , Khan Muhammad Ilyas
Published: April 2017

Work–life balance in the context of this paper means keeping a balance between home and workplace responsibilities and roles. In more traditional societies, such as in Pakistan, working women often find it difficult to keep a balance between their responsibilities in the workplace and their home responsibilities. This paper is based on findings from a qualitative research study that explored the perceptions of working women regarding their home–work responsibilities and how these impact their lives. Data were collected from 10 female academics working in a university in the north of Pakistan, using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Findings reveal that most women academics find it challenging to keep a balance between their home and workplace responsibilities. Participants faced a range of problems both at home and in the workplace that impacted their life in both places. These problems included lack of support and facilities at home and in the workplace. These problems, however, did not seem to deter them from carrying on with their work–home responsibilities. Some of the strategies the participants adopted to keep this balance included separating and scheduling home–work time, securing support of the family and utilising time in the workplace more productively. The downside of this, however, seemed to be that these women academics found little time for themselves as leisure time or time entirely devoted to their own mental and physical wellbeing. The research has important implications for working women, their employers, families and policy makers in Pakistan and other societies with similar contexts.
Relationship of Steroid Dosing and Duration of Mechanical Ventilation in Adult Patients With Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: McCann Jennifer , Teare Katherine , Cochard Emily , Toney Brent
Published: April 2017

Background:

The optimal steroid dose for patients who require mechanical ventilation (MV) for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is unknown.

Objective:

The primary objective of the study is to describe the relationship between steroid doses prescribed and duration of MV.

Methods:

This was a retrospective study of patients admitted between October 2013 and September 2014 who were prescribed steroids and received MV for ≥48 hours for AECOPD.

Results:

Fifty-four patients were included in the study. Median maintenance daily dose of 300 mg/d (IQR: 150-300) prednisone equivalent was prescribed upon initiation of MV. The maintenance daily dose prescribed upon initiation of MV was visually plotted and was categorized into 2 groups: high dose (≥300 mg; n = 28) and low dose (<300 mg; n = 26). There was no relationship observed between the maintenance dose prescribed and duration of MV ( P = .44) or intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS; P = .63). Seventeen (31.5%) patients developed an infection during their hospital stay. These patients received a higher cumulative dose of steroids compared to those without an infection ( P = .035).

Conclusion:

No relationship was observed between maintenance steroid dose prescribed and the duration of MV or ICU LOS. Evaluation of a safe and effective dose and duration of steroids in this population is warranted.
A multiscale modelling approach to understand atherosclerosis formation: A patient-specific case study in the aortic bifurcation
Authors: Alimohammadi Mona , Pichardo-Almarza Cesar , Agu Obiekezie , Díaz-Zuccarini Vanessa
Published: April 2017

Atherogenesis, the formation of plaques in the wall of blood vessels, starts as a result of lipid accumulation (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) in the vessel wall. Such accumulation is related to the site of endothelial mechanotransduction, the endothelial response to mechanical stimuli and haemodynamics, which determines biochemical processes regulating the vessel wall permeability. This interaction between biomechanical and biochemical phenomena is complex, spanning different biological scales and is patient-specific, requiring tools able to capture such mathematical and biological complexity in a unified framework. Mathematical models offer an elegant and efficient way of doing this, by taking into account multifactorial and multiscale processes and mechanisms, in order to capture the fundamentals of plaque formation in individual patients. In this study, a mathematical model to understand plaque and calcification locations is presented: this model provides a strong interpretability and physical meaning through a multiscale, complex index or metric (the penetration site of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, expressed as volumetric flux). Computed tomography scans of the aortic bifurcation and iliac arteries are analysed and compared with the results of the multifactorial model. The results indicate that the model shows potential to predict the majority of the plaque locations, also not predicting regions where plaques are absent. The promising results from this case study provide a proof of concept that can be applied to a larger patient population.
Public attitudes toward the construction of new power plants in South Korea
Authors: Woo JongRoul , Moon HyungBin , Lee Jongsu , Jang Jinyong
Published: April 2017

South Korea is facing difficulties securing sufficient generating capacity to meet its rapidly growing electricity demand because of public opposition to new power plants. Therefore, considering public attitudes toward energy supply facilities is crucial to implement a national energy plan. In this study, we empirically analyze South Korean attitudes, perceptions, and ideology factors related to building new fossil fuel, nuclear, and renewable energy power plants. We find that fossil fuel and nuclear power generation could incur additional social costs owing to the strength of public opposition and NIMBY (not in my backyard) syndrome despite their cheaper generation cost than renewables. Further, while the public generally agrees to expand renewable energy nationally, it could oppose such proposals locally. Finally, an increase in the public’s knowledge about renewables and nuclear fuel could help improve attitudes toward these energy sources, whereas an increase in environmentalism may improve attitudes toward renewables only.
Musical mode and visual-spatial cross-modal associations in infants and adults
Authors: Bonetti Leonardo , Costa Marco
Published: April 2017

The classification of major and minor musical stimuli along five dichotomous scales (happy–sad, pleasant–unpleasant, up–down, light–dark, and warm–cold colors) was investigated in two studies involving 51 children aged 4–6 years, and 168 adults. Musical stimuli were six chords and six harmonized melodies differing in mode (major, minor). Furthermore, fluid intelligence was assessed in both infants and adults. The associations between major mode and happiness and between minor mode and sadness increased from a proportion of 58% at the age of 4, to 61% at the age of 5, 72% at the age of 6, and 92% in adults. The major–up, minor–down associations were 62% in both the 5- and 6-year-olds, and increased to 84% in adults, while the major–light, minor–dark associations increased from 59% at the age of 5 to 72% in 6-year-olds and 92% in adults. Warm–cold colors were systematically associated with, respectively, major and minor stimuli in adults but not in children. Fluid intelligence was strongly related to the child’s ability to associate happy and sad faces to major and minor musical stimuli.
Genotypic relatedness and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella Heidelberg isolated from chickens and turkeys in the midwestern United States
Authors: Nisar Muhammad , Kassem Issmat I. , Rajashekara Gireesh , Goyal Sagar M. , Lauer Dale , Voss Shauna , Nagaraja Kakambi V.
Published: April 2017

Salmonella is one of the most common causes of foodborne illnesses in humans in the United States, and domestic poultry is considered an important source of this pathogen. Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Heidelberg is the fourth most commonly reported Salmonella from retail meats and food animals in the United States. We assessed the genotypes and antimicrobial resistance phenotypes of Salmonella Heidelberg isolated from various chicken and turkey hatcheries and breeder farms in the Midwest. The genotypes of 33 S. Heidelberg isolates from chickens ( n = 19) and turkeys ( n = 14) were compared using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis. Cluster analysis of the fingerprints showed that the majority of the chicken isolates grouped together with 87% similarity; those from turkeys clustered with 88% similarity. Similarity between chicken and turkey isolates was also high (86%). Isolates from turkeys were generally more genetically diverse than those from chickens. Antimicrobial susceptibility analysis detected resistance to sulfisoxazole (36% of the isolates), streptomycin (33%), gentamicin (27%), tetracycline (24%), ampicillin and amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (15%), cefoxitin (12%), ceftriaxone and ceftiofur (12%), and chloramphenicol (9%). None of the isolates was resistant to azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, or nalidixic acid. Although the number of the isolates was limited in our study, we conclude that S. Heidelberg isolates from the same host generally clustered together and that a considerable number of the isolates were resistant to a number of antimicrobial agents.
Modification of two capripoxvirus quantitative real-time PCR assays to improve diagnostic sensitivity and include beta-actin as an internal positive control
Authors: Das Amaresh , Deng Ming Y. , Babiuk Shawn , McIntosh Michael T.
Published: April 2017

Capripoxviruses (CaPVs), consisting of Sheeppox virus (SPV), Goatpox virus (GPV), and Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) species, cause economically significant diseases in sheep, goats, and cattle, respectively. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays are routinely used for rapid detection of CaPVs in surveillance and outbreak management programs. We further modified and optimized 2 previously published CaPV qPCR assays, referred to as the Balinsky and Bowden assays, by changing commercial PCR reagents used in the tests. The modified assays displayed 100% analytical specificity and showed no apparent changes in analytical sensitivities for detection of CaPVs compared with the original assays. Diagnostic sensitivities, assessed using 50 clinical reference samples from experimentally infected sheep, goats, and cattle, improved from 82% to 92% for the modified Balinsky assay and from 58% to 82% for the modified Bowden assay. The modified qPCR assays were multiplexed for detection of beta-actin as an indicator for potential false-negative results. The multiplex modified qPCR assays exhibited the same diagnostic sensitivities as the singleplex assays suggesting their utility in the detection of CaPVs.
Effect of the filler composition on the electrorheological response of dielectric suspensions in an enlarged temperature range
Authors: Korobko Evguenia V , Novikova Zoya A , Murashkevich Anna N , Kharlamova Inha M
Published: April 2017

In this article, we present the results of creation of fillers for electrosensitive rheological fluids, the rheological characteristics of which depend only on the electric field strength and are independent of the change in temperature. The material of the electrorheological fluid filler, nanosized titanium dioxide modified by aluminum cation, was synthesized by the sol-gel method. The rheological properties of electrorheological fluids on the base of synthetic MOBIL oil with TiO2 particles alloyed with 7, 9, and 12 mol% of Al were investigated in the electric field strength varying from 0 to 3.5 kV/mm. The shear stress ( τ >  τ0) of electrorheological fluids was determined by a Physica MCR-301 rheometer. The highest shear stress at T = 20°C was reached in electrorheological fluid with TiO2 particles alloyed with 12 mol% of Al. Comparison of shear stress for electrorheological fluids with TiO2 particles (12 mol% Al) annealed at Tan = 600°C, 700°C, and 800°C shows that the highest result was obtained for electrorheological fluid-3 ( Tan = 700°C). The most stable values of shear stress in the temperature range from 5°C to 80°C were obtained for electrorheological fluid with TiO2 particles alloyed with 12 mol% Al annealed at Tan = 800°C.
Demographics of hip dysplasia in the Maine Coon cat
Authors: Loder Randall T , Todhunter Rory J
Published: April 2017

Objectives

The aim of this study was to report the demographics of feline hip dysplasia (FHD) in the Maine Coon cat.

Methods

The complete hip dysplasia registry (public and private) collected by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals through April 2015 was accessed. There were 2732 unique cats; 2708 (99.1%) were Maine Coons, and only these were studied. Variables analyzed were sex, month/season of birth and hip dysplasia score. Two groups were created: those with and without FHD. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The youngest cat with FHD was 4 months of age. The majority of the radiographs (2604/2708 [96.2%]) were performed between 4 and 60 months of age. Non-borderline scores for these 2604 cats were available in 2548, and were the data used for this study. The overall prevalence of FHD was 24.9% (635/2548), and was slightly higher in males (279/1023 [27.3%]) than females (356/1525 [23.3%]) ( P = 0.025). Those with more severe dysplasia were older. The percentage of bilateral FHD was 56%, and bilateral cases had more severe dysplasia than unilateral cases but with no age difference. Month/season of birth or geographic region of origin did not influence the prevalence of FHD.

Conclusions and relevance

This is the largest demographic study of FHD in the Maine Coon cat. The overall prevalence in the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals registry was 24.9%, and slightly higher in males (27.3%) than females (23.3%). Dysplasia was more severe in bilateral than unilateral cases and with increasing age. Caution should be used when extrapolating these findings to other feline breeds or other groups of Maine Coon cats. Further studies need to be performed among other breeds and geographic locations to better understand the demographics of feline hip dysplasia.
The developmental state in global regulation: Economic change and climate policy
Authors: Meckling Jonas
Published: April 2017

What are the origins of global regulation? This article proposes that the developmental state — the state investing in economic development — can be a source of global environmental regulation. Through industrial policy, the developmental state can promote structural economic change in polluting sectors that supports global regulatory policy in two ways: first, providing state support to green industries creates economic interests in support of global regulation; and, second, driving down the cost of technology through government subsidies alters the pay-offs of global cooperation for other states. This article examines the two mechanisms in the case of climate change: the global leadership of the European Union; and international cooperation on the Paris Agreement. The argument advances our theory of the state in global regulatory politics as both a developmental and a regulatory force. This article identifies significant scope for the developmental strategies of major economies to change the interest and cost structures of polluting sectors to support global environmental regulation.
Parent perspectives on home participation of high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder compared with a matched group of children without autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Egilson Snæfrídur T , Jakobsdóttir Gunnhildur , Ólafsdóttir Linda B
Published: April 2017

Few studies have focused on home participation of high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder. We employed a mixed-methods design to explore and compare parent perspectives on (1) participation of children with and without autism spectrum disorder in activities at home, (2) the environmental features and resources that affect these children’s home participation and (3) the strategies parents use to help their children participate at home. The Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) was used to gather online survey and qualitative data from parents of 99 high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder and 241 children without autism spectrum disorder. Independent sample t-tests and χ2 tests were used to explore differences between groups, and Cohen’s d was calculated to examine effect sizes. Differences were obtained on all Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth dimensions but particularly when comparing parents’ satisfaction and perceived environmental barriers to their children’s participation. The qualitative analyses revealed that parents in both groups used similar strategies to facilitate their children’s participation at home, although parents of children with autism spectrum disorder made use of more distinct modifications. Our results highlight the importance of environmental aspects and point to how practitioners can support families in their efforts to promote their child’s participation at home.
A hearer-based analysis of Turkish–Azerbaijani receptive multilingual communication
Authors: Şimşek Çiğdem Sağın , Ünlü Elena Antonova
Published: April 2017

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions:

Receptive multilingualism (RM), a mode of multilingual communication in which speakers of different languages use their own native language to communicate and still understand each other, is considered to be a relatively under-investigated area in multilingual research. This paper examines features of Turkish–Azerbaijani RM and, focusing on a hearer-based analysis, looks into strategies applied for achieving understanding in the receptive multilingual communication (RMC).

Design/Methodology/Approach:

The study is carried out within the conceptual framework of RM.

Data and Analysis:

Authentic data obtained from oral communication between an Azerbaijani and a Turkish native speaker are analyzed and a post-interview was conducted with the participants in order to investigate to what extent they were able to understand each other in the RMC and what strategies they applied to achieve understanding.

Findings/Conclusions:

The study reveals that the Turkish and Azerbaijani participants could communicate with each other in RM mode without much difficulty thanks to the typological proximity of their languages. In a few instances in which lack of understanding occurred, the participants were found to apply strategies such as asking questions for clarification, conveying confirmation, repeating, rephrasing, resorting to their lexical and world knowledge as well as utilizing the let-it-pass strategy.

Originality and Significance/Implications:

The significance of the study is twofold: first, it demonstrates that RMC between Turkish and Azerbaijani can be utilized as an alternative to lingua franca communication; and second, the study expands the taxonomy of hearer-based strategies in RMC.
Improvements in the process efficiency and bond strength when friction surfacing stainless steel onto aluminium substrates
Authors: Stegmüller Michael JR , Grant Richard J , Schindele Paul
Published: April 2017

Friction surfaced specimens produced by the application of inductive heating and utilising a flash-reducing tool were compared with those obtained through the classical approach. It was found that the use of inductive heating resulted in an increased consumption of the coating material; however, the push-off strength could be more than doubled when compared with the classical process with high shear strength values of up to 111 MPa. The application of the flash-reducing tool reduced the flash to less than 0.05% of the material deposited as a coating and manifested itself in the form of small chips. High push-off strength values of up to 135 MPa were observed, accompanied by an increased coating thickness, coating width and bonding area. Temperature measurements with thermocouples taken during the coating process showed that the melting temperature of the aluminium substrate was reached at the substrate–coating interface. Mixed mode failure was evident at the fractured surfaces of the push-off test specimens and mechanical interlocking appears to be a main bonding mechanism. The presence of cavities were shown to have a detrimental effect on the bonding integrity, but could be reduced in size and number by the application of the flash-reducing tool.
“What I wish my doctor knew about my life”: Using photovoice with immigrant Latino adolescents to explore barriers to healthcare
Authors: Lightfoot Alexandra F , Thatcher Kari , Simán Florence M , Eng Eugenia , Merino Yesenia , Thomas Tainayah , Coyne-Beasley Tamera , Chapman Mimi V
Published: April 2017

Background

Latinos in the USA have reported more frequent discriminatory treatment in healthcare settings when compared to their White counterparts. In particular, foreign-born Latinos report discrimination more than Latinos born in the USA. Such patient-reported racial/ethnic discrimination appears to contribute to specific health consequences, including treatment seeking delays, interruptions in care, and medical mistrust. Immigrant Latino adolescents in the USA experience a variety of health disparities, yet little is known about their views of the healthcare experience, their perceptions of discriminatory treatment, or ways in which they would like their relationships with healthcare providers to be different.

Methods

This work, based in a larger interdisciplinary social work-led initiative, used photovoice with two groups of immigrant Latino adolescents to explore the topic “what I wish the doctor knew about my life.” The findings were used to engage healthcare stakeholders as part of a pilot intervention aimed at decreasing provider bias toward immigrant Latino youth.

Results/Discussion

Findings illuminated ways that the immigrant experience affects the lives and health of Latino adolescents in North Carolina. To improve their health, it is critical to understand, from their perspectives, the ways their lives can be complicated by experiences of migration, stereotypes, and cross-cultural communication challenges and how their interactions with authority figures in one sector, such as education, influence interactions in health care. Understanding the healthcare barriers faced by immigrant Latino youth is critical to any effort to improve the system of care for immigrant Latino populations.
Atypical regulators of Wnt/β-catenin signaling as potential therapeutic targets in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Chen Jianxiang , Rajasekaran Muthukumar , Hui Kam M
Published: April 2017

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Hepatocellular carcinoma development depends on the inhibition and activation of multiple vital pathways, including the Wnt signaling pathway. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway lies at the center of various signaling pathways that regulate embryonic development, tissue homeostasis and cancers. Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway has been observed frequently in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, activating mutations in β-catenin, Axin and Adenomatous Polyposis Coli only contribute to a portion of the Wnt signaling hyper-activation observed in hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, besides mutations in the canonical Wnt components, there must be additional atypical regulation or regulators during Wnt signaling activation that promote liver carcinogenesis. In this mini-review, we have tried to summarize some of these well-established factors and to highlight some recently identified novel factors in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Impact statement

Early recurrence of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a frequent cause of poor survival after potentially curative liver resection. Among the deregulated signaling cascades in HCC, evidence indicates that alterations in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway play key roles in hepatocarcinogenesis. In this review, we summarize the potential molecular mechanisms how the microtubule-associated Protein regulator of cytokinesis 1 (PRC1), a direct Wnt signaling target previously identified in our laboratory to be up-regulated in HCC, in promoting cancer proliferation, stemness, metastasis and tumorigenesis through a complex regulatory circuitry of Wnt3a activities.
Pregnant woman versus mosquito: A feminist epidemiology of Zika virus
Authors: Johnson Candace
Published: April 2017

This article investigates the contradictions between public health protocols and infection containment efforts concerning Zika virus and reproductive rights. In El Salvador, for example, women are being advised to avoid pregnancy until 2018, at which time local authorities hope that the virus will be under control. This is not so easy, however, as there is limited access to contraception, abortion is illegal in all instances, and women tend to have little household authority. In this article, I examine the policy, legal, and political contradictions related to the global proliferation of Zika virus in the context of ongoing debates about stratified reproduction. This term conceptualizes the phenomenon that accords different values to reproductive tasks undertaken by women in different socioeconomic, cultural, and national contexts. Whereas reproduction and reproductive autonomy tend to be highly respected and protected for relatively privileged women in the Global North, they tend to be much less so for women of the Global South. Furthermore, the adherence to public and private divisions in both national and transnational contexts segregates reproductive rights from the mainstream of political negotiation and public health intervention, and in doing so frustrates progress toward the realization of global reproductive rights.
Goodbye Columbus: Accommodation Taxes and OTAs
Authors: McLeod Brumby , Litvin Stephen W. , Heriot Kirk C. , Jauregui Andres , Dempsey Erin
Published: April 2017

In 2006, the community of Columbus, Georgia, filed a lawsuit over uncollected accommodation taxes aimed at online travel agencies [OTAs]. Defendants included companies such as Expedia and Orbitz. In retaliation for the lawsuit, the OTAs delisted the city’s hotels from their sites. Several years later, the lawsuits were settled and normalcy returned. The delisting period provided an interesting set of circumstances that allowed exploration of the power balance between OTAs and municipalities. It also provided, using nonexperimental “real-life” data, some insight into an issue that has received significant trade and academic attention—the influence of OTAs upon hotel occupancies and rates. The results provided should be of interest to communities and their tourism officials in disputes similar to that experienced by Columbus. Hoteliers, the third party caught in the crossfire of these disputes, will also find the research results of value.
Critical illness as a biographical disruption
Authors: Tembo Agness C
Published: April 2017

This paper discusses critical illness as a biographical disruption in intensive care and beyond. When people talk about critical illness, they often associate it with intensive care units (ICU). However, critical illness disrupts one’s existential being both in the immediacy of ICU hospitalisation and during the long-term recovery phase. In ICU the patient experiences biographical disruption by being attached to technology and being unconscious. During the period of unconsciousness the patient undergoes severance from the world. This period is then followed by the discovery of oneself confined to the strange ICU environment and restricted by lifesaving technology upon regaining consciousness. These phases highlight the nature of critical illness as a biographical disruption. Chronic illness and illness in general as a biographical disruption have been discussed previously. However there is little literature about critical illness as a biographical disruption per se.
Saccades to Explicit and Virtual Features in the Poggendorff Figure Show Perceptual Biases
Authors: Dillenburger Barbara , Morgan Michael
Published: April 2017

Human participants made saccadic eye movements to various features in a modified vertical Poggendorff figure, to measure errors in the location of key geometrical features. In one task, subjects ( n = 8) made saccades to the vertex of the oblique T-intersection between a diagonal pointer and a vertical line. Results showed both a small tendency to shift the saccade toward the interior of the angle, and a larger bias in the direction of a shorter saccade path to the landing line. In a different kind of task (visual extrapolation), the same subjects fixated the tip of a 45° pointer and made a saccade to the implicit point of intersection between pointer and a distant vertical line. Results showed large errors in the saccade landing positions and the saccade polar angle, in the direction predicted from the perceptual Poggendorff bias. Further experiments manipulated the position of the fixation point relative to the implicit target, such that the Poggendorff bias would be in the opposite direction from a bias toward taking the shortest path to the landing line. The bias was still significant. We conclude that the Poggendorff bias in eye movements is in part due to the mislocation of visible target features but also to biases in planning a saccade to a virtual target across a gap. The latter kind of error comprises both a tendency to take the shortest path to the landing line, and a perceptual error that overestimates the vector component orthogonal to the gap.
Determinant factors of quality of life in adult patients with eosinophilic esophagitis
Authors: Lucendo Alfredo J , Arias-González Laura , Molina-Infante Javier , Arias Ángel
Published: April 2017

Background

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Data on determinant factors and the influence of dietary interventions are scarce.

Objective

The objective of this article is to evaluate factors influencing HRQoL in adult EoE patients.

Methods

We conducted a multicenter observational, cross-sectional study. A validated Spanish version of the self-administered Adult Eosinophilic Esophagitis Quality of Life (EoE-QoL-A) questionnaire and specific surveys were used. Multiple linear regression was used to identify and quantify determinant factors of HRQoL.

Results

Responses provided by 170 patients were assessed (73.5% male; mean age 33.5 ± 11.4 years). Overall mean score for the EoE-QoL-A index was 1.4 ± 0.8, with no differences between patients on dietary or pharmacological therapy (1.82 ± 0.8 vs. 1.62 ± 0.8; p = 0.132). Disease anxiety showed the highest mean score (2.13 ± 0.9 points), followed by choking anxiety (1.97 ± 1.1); social impact (1.77 ± 1.1), and diet/eating impact (1.68 ± 0.9). Emotional impact had the lowest rating (1.15 ± 0.9), and only with a significantly worse score in patients under dietary restrictions. Recurrent food impaction, a higher educational level, dietary interventions and symptom duration were all independent determinant factors significantly impairing HRQoL. Female gender and empiric elimination diets negatively influenced on diet/eating impact.

Conclusion

Recurrent food impaction, dietary interventions and symptom duration are the most important factors influencing the perception of HRQoL in adults with EoE.
The Effect of the Number of Carries Among College Running Backs on Future Injury Risk and Performance in the National Football League
Authors: Kraeutler Matthew J. , Belk John W. , McCarty Eric C.
Published: April 2017

Background:

There has been speculation that running backs with an excessive number of carries in college are less likely to be successful in the National Football League (NFL).

Purpose:

To determine whether there is a correlation between number of carries by college running backs and future performance and injury risk in the NFL.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Using the ESPN archives of National Collegiate Athletic Association and NFL running backs, the following inclusion criteria were used: running backs who played their last college season from 1999 through 2012 and who were drafted in the first 4 rounds of the NFL draft following their college career. Players were grouped by number of carries during their final college season (group A, 100-200 carries; group B, 250+ carries). Performance and injury risk were compared between groups during the first 3 eligible seasons in the NFL. Groups were compared based on total number of carries, mean yards per carry, number of games missed due to injury, and the specific injuries resulting in missed playing time.

Results:

During the seasons studied, a total of 103 running backs were included (group A, n = 42; group B, n = 61). There was a trend toward a significantly greater mean total number of carries through 3 NFL seasons in group B (group A, n = 276 carries; group B, n = 376 carries; P = .058). Mean yards per carry did not differ between groups (group A, n = 3.9 yards/carry; group B, n = 4.0 yards/carry; P = .67). Groups A and B missed a mean 5.8 and 5.7 games, respectively, due to injury during their first 3 NFL seasons ( P = .98). A significantly greater proportion of players in group A suffered a concussion compared with group B ( P = .014).

Conclusion:

There is no correlation between the number of carries by college running backs and future injury risk or performance during their early NFL career.
Racial and Gender Inequality and School Discipline: Toward a More Comprehensive View of School Policy
Authors: Ispa-Landa Simone
Published: April 2017

Researchers often examine how a single policy is implemented, without considering the role that other policies and programs may play in how that policy is understood and enacted. For instance, current scholarship on school discipline rarely considers that in many schools, multiple disciplinary channels coexist. For example, to counter harsh and racially disproportionate punishment in schools, many school districts have established restorative justice programs. However, restorative justice programs are frequently introduced into schools that also maintain more authoritarian practices, including the presence of police officers with the power to arrest students. In other words, rather than supplanting punitive practices, restorative justice practices tend to coexist with them. In this article, I describe how the coexistence of these two different channels for dealing with student misbehavior could deepen race and gender disproportionality in punishment. In so doing, I sketch a program of research on school disciplinary practices and inequality. I also call for more attention to the broader policy context in studies of particular school programs and policies.
A field study of nuclear magnetic resonance logging to quantify petroleum contamination in subsurface sediments
Authors: Fay Emily L. , Knight Rosemary J. , Grunewald Elliot D.
Published: April 2017

In a field study conducted in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging measurements were used to investigate an area of hydrocarbon contamination from leaking underground storage tanks. The NMR logging measurements are directly sensitive to hydrogen-bearing fluids in the sediments surrounding a well and can be used to estimate in situ fluid volumes. The relaxation time [Formula: see text] and diffusion coefficient [Formula: see text] of the fluids may be used to differentiate between signal from water and signal from contaminant, enabling the estimation of the hydrocarbon volume. In this study, NMR measurements were collected in two PVC-cased monitoring wells, with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] measurements used together to detect a contaminant smear zone at both the wells. Although the contrast in [Formula: see text] between the fluids was found to be inadequate for fluid typing, the [Formula: see text] contrast between the contaminant and water in silt enabled the estimation of contaminant volumes. Using this technique, the vertical extent of the smear zone was found to be more than 3 m with up to 5 vol% contaminant in the sediments at one well and up to 9.5 vol% at the other well. Our work reveals that NMR logging can, under certain circumstances, be used to detect and quantify in situ contamination, but it also highlights the significant limitation that sediment and contaminant properties at many sites may result in insufficient contrast in [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
Sonic properties as a signature of overpressure in the Marcellus gas shale of the Appalachian Basin
Authors: Zhou Yaneng , Nikoosokhan Saeid , Engelder Terry
Published: April 2017

The Marcellus Formation, a Devonian gas shale in the Appalachian Basin, is a heterogeneous rock as the result of a complex depositional, diagenetic, and deformational history. Although it is overpressured over a large portion of its economic area, the origin and distribution of pore pressure within the gas shale are not well-understood. We have used the sonic properties of the Marcellus and statistical analyses to tackle this problem. The sonic data come from a suite of 53 wells including a calibration well in the Appalachian Basin. We first analyze the influence of various extrinsic and intrinsic parameters on sonic velocities with univariate regression analyses. The sonic velocities of the Marcellus in the calibration well generally decrease with an increase in gamma-ray american petroleum institute (API) and increase with density and effective stress. Basin-wide median sonic velocities generally decrease with an increase in median gamma-ray API and pore pressure and increase with burial depth (equivalent confining stress), effective stress, and median density. Abnormal pore pressure is verified by a stronger correlation between the median sonic properties and effective stress using an effective stress coefficient of approximately 0.7 relative to the correlation between the median sonic properties and depth. The relatively small effective stress coefficient may be related to the fact that natural gas, a “soft” fluid, is responsible for a basin-wide overpressure of the Marcellus. Following the univariate regression analyses, we adopt a multiple linear regression model to predict the median sonic velocities in the Marcellus based on median gamma-ray intensity, median density, thickness of the Marcellus, confining pressure, and an inferred pore pressure. Finally, we predict the pore pressure in the Marcellus based on median sonic velocities, median gamma-ray intensity, median density, thickness of the Marcellus, and confining pressure.
How to decrease bronchopulmonary dysplasia in your neonatal intensive care unit today and “tomorrow”
Authors: Nelin Leif D. , Bhandari Vineet
Published: April 2017

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD, is the most common chronic lung disease in infants. Genetic predisposition and developmental vulnerability secondary to antenatal and postnatal infections, compounded with exposure to hyperoxia and invasive mechanical ventilation to an immature lung, result in persistent inflammation, culminating in the characteristic pulmonary phenotype of BPD of impaired alveolarization and dysregulated vascularization. In this article, we highlight specific areas in current management, and speculate on therapeutic strategies that are on the horizon, that we believe will make an impact in decreasing the incidence of BPD in your neonatal intensive care units.
Structure and Factors of Creative Potential Development of Pedagogic Institutes’ Students
Authors: Кайтукова  , Kaytukova Zakhira
Published: April 2017

The article presents theoretical approaches to consider the problems of potential and creativity. The paper gives definition of creative potential of the students studying pedagogy in the context of each of these approaches. The author presents a model of creative potential, including values, motivational, and operational components and various indicators within these components. The factors to develop creative potential of the students taking courses in pedagogy and the relevant changes in its composition that occurred during the pilot study are also suggested by the author.
Readiness of the future mathematics teacher to the organization of research work of pupils: criteria and levels of formation
Authors: ���������  , Berseneva Olesya
Published: April 2017

At the moment, because with the implementation of the new federal educational and professional standards, greatly expanded the list of functions and responsibilities of teachers. At the same time are the commonest monitoring research. As the object of that are complex pedagogical phenomenon. One of such objects is the readiness of the future teachers of mathematics to the organization of research activity of pupils. The article suggests an approach to assessment and measurement of readiness of the future teachers of mathematics to the organization of research activity of students. It is based on a theoretical analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature and experience in evaluating educational outcomes of students. In the logic of this approach are proposed criteria formedness the considered pedagogical phenomenon, indicators of its manifestations. In the four levels of readiness components defined (elementary, reproductive, productive and creative).
Methodic of Assessing the Elements of Audited Entity’s Internal Control System of the Tax SystemTEM
Authors: Киреева  , Kireeva Viktoriya
Published: April 2017

Today the problem being investigated is not enough presented in the scientific literature. The author off ers and describes developed methodic of assessing the elements of audited entity’s internal control system of the tax system, that includes 6 stages.
Value Driven Project Portfolio Management: the study features. Part 2. Application methodology
Authors: �������  , Gergert Dmitriy , ������  , Ketova E.
Published: April 2017

In todays fast-moving world, project management gradually covers one activity after another. Increasingly, projects are the major components of the organization. Over time, projects are becoming more complex and dynamic, often, to achieve this goal it is necessary to implement a whole range of projects. Successful implementation of such projects, in most cases is only possible when using the approach to management based on values, the correct application of which makes it possible to optimize and balance the activities of the organization to achieve strategic and tactical objectives. This article discusses the application of value driven project portfolio methodology
Adaptive Management in Nonadaptive Industry
Authors: ������  , Funtov Valeriy , ���������  , Paramonov D. , ���������  , Malozemov Sergey
Published: April 2017

This article focuses on the current state and opportunities for the application of Agile methods in the project management, which is not related to the classical IT industry. The article briefly describes the history of the Agile, principles and approaches that are effective and universal, and directly or with adaptation can be transferred to other projects from (non-IT) industries. Examples of applications in different industries are given. Their implementation and effectiveness, readiness for the use by Russian companies is estimated. The first example of the use in the nuclear industry in Scrum scalable package is analyzed. Further possibilities of using of flexible approaches, as well as recommendations for their optimization are presented.
Subject Experience as Phenomenological Category
Authors: Зайцева  , Zaytseva O. , Карих  , Karikh V.
Published: April 2017

Formation of the identity of the preschool child as show

the researches of domestic and foreign scientists is caused by acquisition

and accumulation of subject experience. The most favorable

period of active entry of the child into the social world – the

period of the preschool childhood. It is the period of formation of

outlook, awakening of esthetic and moral senses, development of

art thinking, formation of a subject position of children of preschool

age. Experience is not only included into structure of the personality,

but also makes complete education as actually got experience

is lived by the personality, is realized by her and missed through

itself. Thanks to development and assignment of the experience

developed by mankind there is a development of the child.