bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Dynamic Potassium Change on In-Hospital Mortality, Ventricular Arrhythmias, and Long-Term Mortality in STEMI
Authors: Kaya Adnan , Keskin Muhammed , Tatlisu Mustafa Adem , Kayapinar Osman
Published: July 2018

We evaluated the effect of serum potassium (K) deviation on in-hospital and long-term clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction who were normokalemic at admission. A total of 2773 patients with an admission serum K level of 3.5 to 4.5 mEq/L were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were categorized into 3 groups according to their K deviation: normokalemia-to-hypokalemia, normokalemia-to-normokalemia, and normokalemia-to-hyperkalemia. In-hospital mortality, long-term mortality, and ventricular arrhythmias rates were compared among the groups. In a hierarchical multivariable regression analysis, the in-hospital mortality risk was higher in normokalemia-to-hypokalemia (odds ratio [OR] 3.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.72-6.82) and normokalemia-to-hyperkalemia groups (OR 2.81; 95% CI, 1.93-4.48) compared with the normokalemia-to-normokalemia group. In a Cox regression analysis, long-term mortality risk was also higher in normokalemia-to-hypokalemia (hazard ratio [HR] 3.78; 95% CI, 2.07-7.17) and normokalemia-to-hyperkalemia groups (HR, 2.97; 95% CI, 2.10-4.19) compared with the normokalemia-to-normokalemia group. Ventricular arrhythmia risk was also higher in normokalemia-to-hypokalemia group (OR 2.98; 95% CI, 1.41-5.75) compared with normokalemia-to-normokalemia group. The current study showed an increased in-hospital ventricular arrhythmia and mortality and long-term mortality rates with the deviation of serum K levels from normal ranges.
“How You Like Me Now?”: Exploring Teacher Perceptions of Urban Middle Schoolers’ Mathematical Abilities and Identities
Authors: Flint Tori K. , Sheppard Peter , Tackie Nii A.
Published: July 2018

HEAT, an instructional program emphasizing a nontraditional hands-on approach to algebraic instruction for urban, predominantly African American middle schoolers, provides a space to explore teachers’ beliefs about urban students’ mathematical abilities and motivation and addresses how teacher perceptions can intersect with instruction, learning, and the construction of students’ mathematical identities. Using a multiple case study design, we analyzed six urban middle school mathematics teachers’ written reflections and interview responses. Findings suggest that teachers’ instructional behaviors, along with their perceptions and expectations of urban, African American middle schoolers’ mathematical abilities and motivation, interact with students’ beliefs and work habits in ways that can promote and support students’ positive mathematical identity construction. Thus, HEAT personified thriving learning subcultures and supportive mathematical communities of practice that are far too atypical in urban middle schools.
Of Teams and Ties: Examining the Relationship Between Formal and Informal Instructional Support Networks
Authors: Woodland Rebecca H. , Mazur Rebecca
Published: July 2018

Purpose: This study examined an urban district’s capacity to diffuse instructional innovations. Social network analysis (SNA) was used to examine the relationship between “informal” teacher support networks and “formal” teacher support networks engineered by administrators through required membership on a team. This study also sought to uncover how school leaders considered study findings in light of their district’s theory of change to improve teacher collaboration. Method: About 1,100 employees responded to a sociometric survey that queried for demographics, team membership, and advice-seeking behavior. SNA methods were used to examine network cohesion (i.e., size, density, isolates, ties) and degree centrality. Statistical analyses (chi-square and multinomial logistic regressions) were performed to examine how team membership were associated with teachers’ advice-seeking behaviors. Visual inspection of sociograms was used to communicate and make meaning of findings with district personnel. Findings: The majority of teachers’ informal instructional support ties were concomitant with shared membership on an administrator created formal team. The majority of teachers who reported that at least one colleague had a strong, positive influence on their practice, also participated in at least one formal team, and believed their team’s collaboration positively affected their instructional practice. Implications: School leaders affect quality of instructional support networks through organizational design. The extent to which teachers are able to access social capital and instructional support is influenced by the choices administrators make about how to structure teacher collaboration.
A Third Way: The Politics of School District Takeover and Turnaround in Lawrence, Massachusetts
Authors: Schueler Beth E.
Published: July 2018

Purpose: School district superintendents say politics is the number one factor limiting their performance, yet research provides limited guidance on navigating the political dynamics of district improvement. State takeovers and district-wide turnaround efforts tend to involve particularly heated and polarized debates. Massachusetts’ 2012 takeover of the Lawrence Public Schools provides a rare case of state takeover and district turnaround that both resulted in substantial early academic improvements and generated limited controversy. Method: To describe the stakeholder response and learn why the reforms were not more contentious, I analyzed press coverage of the Lawrence schools from 2007 to 2015, public documents, and two secondary sources of survey data on parent and educator perceptions of the schools. I also interviewed turnaround and stakeholder group leaders at the state and district level regarding the first 3 years of reform. Findings: I find that the local Lawrence context and broader statewide accountability system help explain the stakeholder response. Furthermore, several features of the turnaround leaders’ approach improved the response and reflected a “third way” orientation to transcending polarizing political disagreement between educational reformers and traditionalists. Examples include leaders’ focus on differentiating district–school relations, diversifying school management, making strategic staffing decisions, boosting both academics and enrichment, and producing early results while minimizing disruption. Implications: The findings provide guidance for state-level leaders on developing accountability systems and selecting contexts that are ripe for reform. The results also provide lessons for district- and school-level leaders seeking to implement politically viable improvement of persistently low-performing educational systems.
L'Organisation de la Statistique aux Pays-Bas
Authors: Methorst H. W.
Published: July 2018

I. — Historique de la statistique néerlandaise; II. — Organisation actuelle de la statistique néerlandaise; III. — Statistiques élaborées par le Bureau central; IV. — La contrainte légale en matière de statistique; V. — Publications du Bureau central.
Statistics in the Irish Free State
Authors: Lyon Stanley
Published: July 2018

I. — Evolution and present organisation, p. 185; II. — Principal sections of the Statistics Branch, p. 188; III. — Budget and Personnel, p. 198; IV. — Official Statistical Publications, p. 199; V. — Statistics compiled and published by other Departments, p. 201; VI. — Statistics in the Universities, p. 202; VII. — Statistical Societies, p. 202.
Editorial
Authors: Rostand Edmond
Published: July 2018

« Et vous ne seriez rien sans l'armée humble et noire Qu'il faut pour composer une page d'histoire »
Comparison of Fluoride Profiles by SIMS with Mineral Density of Subsurface Enamel Lesions Treated Intra-orally with a Fluoride-releasing Device
Authors: Corpron R.E. , More F.G. , Mount G.
Published: July 2018

A variety of intra-oral model systems has evolved which allows for the study of remineralization of coronal and/or root-surface lesions following application of topical fluoride (F) agents. The problem of interpretation of the results has led to a variety of analytical methods (i.e., microhardness, F biopsy, microradiography, and polarizing light microscopy), each of which provides important but limited information related to the overall understanding of remineralization. Microhardness measures change in mineral content which is more precisely localized by microradiography and polarized light microscopy. F biopsy allows for assessment of the F uptake of lesions, but does not suggest the chemical state of the F. Previous work has demonstrated that patterns of mineral deposition during remineralization do not necessarily parallel the F uptake profiles, and fluoridated apatites cannot be distinguished from non-specifically-adsorbed F (Clark et al., 1988). Because artificial lesions demonstrate variations in depth and mineral content, complementary analytical methods that demonstrate profiles of both F content and mineral density curves on the same section are needed so that the process of remineralization can be more clearly understood. This study used secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for F profiles and quantitative microradiography for assessment of mineral deposition on the same section. These state-of-the-art methods demonstrate the precision with which information about remineralization can be obtained. Subsurface lesions in human enamel specimens were developed by immersion in 0.1M lactate buffer with 1% CMC at a pH of 4.5 for 48 h. The specimens were then mounted in a removable mandibular acrylic appliance and worn by adult subjects for 30-day control and fluoride-releasing-device (FRD, 0.5 mg F/day) treatment periods. The subjects brushed with a F-free dentifrice. After 30 days, the enamel specimens were removed, embedded, sectioned, and polished to 100 ± 5 μm. Sections were scanned for mineral content with a Zeiss VIDAS image analysis system, and density profiles were constructed. Identical areas on each section were scanned by a Cameca IMS-3fSIMS for elemental profiles of F, Ca, and P along the same paths as were scanned by image analysis. Mean F profiles suggested that low levels of salivary F from the FRD produced high F uptake in the surface layer without significant increase in mineral deposition. Conversely, significant mineral uptake occurred in the base of the lesion with decidedly lower F uptake, suggesting that fluoridated apatite formation predominates in the base of the lesion and mostly non-specific adsorbed F in the surface layer and body of the lesion. The approach used in this study enhances the understanding of the remineralization of enamel lesions by use of a low-potency F agent.
Computer-based Image Analysis of Natural Approximal Caries on Radiographic Films
Authors: Heaven T.J. , Firestone A.R. , Feagin F.F.
Published: July 2018

This paper reports on the development of computer software for automatic detection and measurement of approximal caries lesions on digital images obtained from radiographic films. If the program detects a lesion, it defines the lesion's border and measures and reports these lesion parameters: percent mineralization, area, maximum enamel penetration, and mean enamel penetration.

Two experiments are reported; both were conducted with the use of extracted human premolar teeth. In the first experiment, thin sections were obtained from 13 approximal surfaces with caries lesions. Microradiographs were made of the sections, and software measurements of the lesions were obtained from the microradiographs. The software was able to separate the lesions into two groups: those that had penetrated less than 100% of the enamel and those that had penetrated 100% of the enamel. The software measurements agreed with evaluation of lesion penetration by polarized light microscopy of the thin sections.

In the second experiment, simulated clinical radiographs were made of 16 approximal surfaces, 12 with lesions and four without. Thin sections were obtained for microradiography. Software was used for automatic detection and measurement of the lesions on both types of film. The ability of the software to detect the lesions on the clinical films was compared with that of 10 experienced clinicians. Correlations of the same parameter from the two types of radiographic films were statistically significant, 0.86 ≤ r ≤ 0.95 and p < 0.05. The coefficients of variation were low for both microradiographs, 0.4–2.3%, and for clinical films, 0.7–8.5%. A receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed for the clinicians and the software. The software was more accurate than the clinicians in deciding whether or not a lesion was present. In conclusion, under the conditions of this experiment, the software was able accurately to decide whether caries was present and, when present, to provide information about the extent of the lesion which was in good agreement with that from microradiographs.
Statistical Considerations Related to Intra-oral Studies
Authors: Proskin H.M.
Published: July 2018

Intra-oral studies use caries models from which conclusions are drawn concerning the caries process in the clinical environment. Recently, attention has been drawn to the issue of proper analysis and interpretation of the data from such studies, with particular emphasis placed on a consideration of the role such studies can and should play as a component of product claim submissions to the American Dental Association (ADA). This presentation discusses a number of issues relevant to this consideration, including the validity and reliability of the intra-oral modeling process, the relationship between these concepts and the requirements imposed by the ADA Guidelines for superiority and equivalence claims, and a brief enumeration of several other statistical issues which ought to be considered in the handling of data from such studies.
A Quantitative Comparison of Methods Measuring Fluoride in Solutions or in Enamel
Authors: Ten Bosch J.J. , Booij M.
Published: July 2018

Fluoride in solution is most usually measured with the ion-specific electrode, although a few other methods are available. The electrode can be used in a straightforward manner, its lower concentration limit may be extended by special methods such as the standard addition of fluoride, or microdiffusion methods may be used to extract fluoride from the sample and concentrate it in base. Specifications of all methods are tabulated. A choice of method depends on the requirements in terms of specifications but also on the personal experience of the investigator and the required robustness. Microdiffusion of some kind is preferable for concentrations below 5 μmol/L or when electrode-interfering molecules such as proteins are present in rather high concentrations. Fluoride in enamel may be determined by removal of layers by etching, abrasion, or microdrilling, followed by dissolution of the layer removed. Specifications of depth and area resolution are tabulated. Alternatively, probing methods of a physical nature can be used. These methods require sophisticated instruments that are not widely available. Some of them are destructive, others are not. All but one require exposure to vacuum. However, most of them combine a very good sensitivity with a very good resolution in depth and/or measured area. Therefore, their use in research (requiring cooperation with instrument specialists/owners) may well be worth the effort.
The Influence of William James on the Spirituality of Alcoholics’ Anonymous
Authors: Kirkland Karl
Published: July 2018

This article challenges Bevacqua and Hoffman’s (2010) seminal article in this journal on the degree to which Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) falls short in its attempt to download the complete spirituality of William James into the AA canon. Results of the analysis of this question reveal that AA has fully incorporated the depth of The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902/1985). When application of James’s pragmatic method is applied to AA, the organization emerges as complete, with the abundant fruit of almost 2 million members worldwide. AA practices are not exclusivist, and do not offer a “one size fits all” restrictive paradigm. Rather, inspired by James, AA consistently gives explicit permission to members to find a path of their own construction that develops into an inclusive paradigm that has a lifelong trajectory.
Visual Discordance Cues Induce Prism Adaptation in Normal Monkeys
Authors: Healy Mark H. , Symmes David , Ommaya Ayub K.
Published: July 2018

Contrary to previous reports, adaptation to laterally displaced visual input does require visual perception of the visuomotor mismatch. Using 4 rhesus monkeys as Ss, it was found that reaching errors induced by wearing 20 diopter wedge prisms remained at optically predicted magnitudes for 24 hr., provided that no visual misreaching cues were available. Unrestricted head movement did not provide such cues. However, terminal viewing of the prism induced reaching errors produced dramatic, rapid adaptation. Tactile and proprioceptive discordance cues alone, without visual feedback, were not corrective.
Stability of Forms under Conditions of Illusory Distortion
Authors: Girgus Joan S. , Coren Stanley
Published: July 2018

It has been suggested by some theorists that regular, common, symmetrical forms evoke perceptual schemas or sets of pre-implications that make them relatively resistant to imposed perceptual distortions. In this experiment, the Mueller-Lyer illusion was superimposed on forms varying in regularity. The results indicate that any closed figure is resistant to distortion, although the degree of its resistance does not vary as a function of the regularity of the form.
Effects of Background Variation on Positive Habituation and Tedium
Authors: Harrison Albert A. , Tutone Robert M.
Published: July 2018

From research on Berlyne's two-factor (positive habituation and tedium) theory, it was hypothesized that if stimuli are presented in homogeneous sequences, constant background stimuli will allow the two factors to proceed unabated, resulting in an inverted-U relationship between exposure and attitudinal favorability, whereas changing background stimuli will mitigate against each factor in turn, producing the U relationship. Ideographs were presented in different frequencies either against an unchanging background (Repetition Condition) or against a changing background (Variation Condition). The inverted-U relationship was not obtained in the former condition, but the U relationship was in the latter (p.05). The most salient finding was that a shifting background mitigates against tedium as shown by a final increase in favorability ratings over exposures in the Variation Condition alone (p.05), decreasing ratings for stimuli shown later in the exposure sequence in the Repetition Condition alone (p.01), and higher ratings of the maximum frequency stimulus in the Variation as compared to the Repetition Condition.
Effect of Color on Reported Autokinetic Movement
Authors: Wallace Benjamin
Published: July 2018

Ss reported autokinetic movement under 1 of 4 color conditions (red, green, violet, and yellow). The over-all main effect of color on magnitude of reported movement was not significant. The interaction between color and trials was significant.
Alcohol Effects on Information Processing Time with an Overlearned Task1
Authors: Moskowitz Herbert , Burns Marcelline
Published: July 2018

Response latencies in naming visually displayed numbers were measured for 20 Ss under control and alcohol treatments. The size of the stimulus pool was varied by sets of trials to produce stimulus-response uncertainty in the range 0 to 5 bits. Response latencies were a function of the amount of uncertainty, but alcohol impairment was not.
Direction of Error on the Body Adjustment Test
Authors: Dershowitz Zecharia
Published: July 2018

Intercorrelations of scores on the Body Adjustment Test and other criterion measures of psychological differentiation tested the hypothesis that the magnitude of correlation is a function of the availability of intellectualization as a coping and defense mechanism. It is suggested that Ss who, on Body Adjustment series “b,” cross the position of true upright before they decide that they are, in fact, upright are not using all the available intellectual cues. Utilizing Ss who do not cross the position of true upright vs matched Ss who do cross that position, the study demonstrated that the intercorrelations between Body Adjustment series “b” and the other criterion measures is higher for Ss who cross-over 0° deviation, than for those Ss who do not cross that position. This is taken as supportive of the hypothesis that intellectualization (as available to the non cross-overs) mitigates field influences for the, relatively, psychologically dependent individuals, on the Body Adjustment series “b” tests. The study also demonstrates the value of considering the results of Body Adjustment series “a” and series “b” separately when measuring cognitive style—contrary to the prevalent practice of combining the two series into one measure.
Seven-Year Retention of Oddity Learning Set in Monkeys1
Authors: Johnson Candace K. , Davis Roger T.
Published: July 2018

Old highly experienced rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) retained oddity learning-sets nearly perfectly until retested 7 yr. later without specific intervening experience on oddity problems. Younger animals, which were not as proficient at oddity learning-sets initially, very rapidly approached the level of the old animals during the test for retention.
Contrast and Stimulus Intensity in Kinesthetic Figural Aftereffects with Normal and Schizophrenic Subjects
Authors: Ritzler Barry , Ebner Eugene
Published: July 2018

A proprioceptive size estimation task was used to assess the magnitude of kinesthetic figural aftereffects between schizophrenics and normals. College students (controls) demonstrated the largest kinesthetic figural aftereffects. Acute schizophrenics showed less responsivity than normals to proprioceptive stimulation and chronic schizophrenics manifested the lowest mean kinesthetic figural aftereffects score of the three groups. The results were discussed as evidence in support of the hypothesis of a proprioceptive deficit in schizophrenia. The results also were interpreted as casting some doubt on the validity of the concept of kinesthetic control of stimulus intensity in schizophrenic size-estimation performance.
Effects of Degree of Visual Association and Angle of Displacement on the “Ventriloquism” Effect
Authors: Jack Charles E. , Thurlow Willard R.
Published: July 2018

The “ventriloquism”, effect refers to the perception of speech sounds as coming from the same direction as the visually observed speaker (even though they are not actually coming from the same direction). Our experiments provide further proof that a necessary condition for this effect is that there be an association between certain critical visual stimuli of the source and the speech sounds. Synchronized movement of the speaker's mouth, associated in the past with speech sounds, is the most important variable. Delay of even .2 sec. between mouth movements of a human speaker, and speech sounds, leads to a large decrease in the “ventriloquism” effect. Results obtained by systematically varying the horizontal angle between the (concealed) sound source and the “visual” source confirm findings of others that strong “ventriloquism” effects can be obtained for an angle as large as 30°. “Ventriloquism” effects can also be obtained for concealed sources placed behind S, though the effect decreases rapidly as the horizontal angle of source placement is changed from a position directly in back of S.
Effects of Preparatory Period on a Reaction-Time Followed by a Pointing Movement Either Guided or Not
Authors: Guiard Yves , Requin Jean
Published: July 2018

In a pointing task, the movement-time (MT), as opposed to reaction-time (RT), does not depend upon duration of preparatory period (PP). On the other hand, the mean MT, but not the mean RT, is shortened by guidance of the movement. The timing of preparatory processes in such task is discussed.
A numerical study on effects of friction-induced thermal load for rail under varied wheel slip conditions
Authors: Srivastava Jay Prakash , Sarkar Prabir Kumar , Kiran MV Ravi , Ranjan Vinayak
Published: July 2018

A finite element-based simulation was carried out to investigate the effects of friction-induced thermal load on rail under varied wheel slip conditions. The surface temperature rise from six different percentage slips (1%, 1.5%, 2%, 5%, 8.5%, and 10%) at the contact interface was examined for eight-wheel pass. The residual stresses and accumulated plastic strains evolved by the effect of localized temperature rise are estimated. Analytical formulation for conduction mode of heat transfer at the contact patch is used to estimate the temperature distribution. The interaction of thermal-elastic-plastic field conditions is obtained by a proposed simulation model. This is implemented in commercial finite element software ANSYS 14.0. In order to capture the steep thermal gradient beneath the contact surface, refined mesh is used in the upper layers up to a depth of 2 mm of the simulation domain. For better manifestation of thermally affected material layers, a temperature dependent bilinear-kinematic hardening material condition is applied. Results indicate the maximum temperature rise at about 0.6 a from the trailing end in the contact ellipse of semi-major axis a. At higher slippage conditions the initial pearlitic rail steel gets converted to martensite which is often observed on rail surface as white etching layer known to be associated with rolling contact fatigue. The study reveals the mechanisms of thermally induced defects observable on rail surface. The outcomes, in addition, can provide useful information for the development of thermo-mechanically superior rail steels.
Terrorism, the Use of Force and International Law after 11 September
Authors: Byers Michael
Published: July 2018

There were at least four possible legal justifications for the use of force against Afghanistan: Chapter VII of the UN Charter, intervention by invitation, humanitarian intervention and self-defence. The United States relied solely on the last justification, with the choice having been based on considerations arising out of the interaction of international politics and international law. In pursuing a claim of self-defence, the US adopted a two-pronged legal strategy: it expanded the focus to include the Taleban; and it worked hard to secure widespread support in advance of military action. As a result, the right of self-defence now includes military responses against States that actively support or willingly harbour terrorist groups who have already attacked the responding State. The US may now be employing similar legal strategies in an effort to develop or extend a right of anticipatory self-defence against terrorist acts.
“And the Greatest of These Is Hope”: Reframing the Global Refugee Crisis
Authors: Msabah Barnabé Anzuruni
Published: July 2018

The refugee phenomenon is indeed a shared human condition – affecting every sector of society. This article explores the meaning and relevance of hope in the lives of refugees. It analyses the extent to which hope features in their lived experiences and the impact of its role in empowering them to meet their manifold challenges. The study is a compendium of qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews with refugee migrants in Cape Town, a wide range of existing scholarly literature, and the author’s lived experiences as a refugee migrant in several African countries. The aim of this evidence-based information is to provide a platform for research, advocacy, and mobilisation of the refugee populations in order to optimise their care and establish hope as an empowering resource. In so doing, the article highlights the primacy of hope in line with the African kairos of dread.
Spelling acquisition in French children with developmental language disorder: An analysis of spelling error patterns
Authors: Godin Marie-Pier , Gagné Andréanne , Chapleau Nathalie
Published: July 2018

The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine spelling acquisition in French children with developmental language disorder (DLD) over a school year. Through a fine-grained spelling error analysis, we investigated whether spelling profiles could be established in the DLD population. This study comprised three groups: a typically developing (TD) group ( n = 16), a group of DLD children matched on spelling skills with the TD group ( n = 8), and a group of DLD children matched on chronological age and phonological awareness skills with their DLD peers ( n = 8), but showing weaker spelling skills. Results indicated that the DLD group matched on spelling skills with the TD group tended to produce more phonologically accurate spellings than the other DLD group. However, the two DLD groups did not differ on phonological awareness skills or vocabulary. Throughout the school year, the TD group and their DLD peers matched on spelling skills tended to add more silent letters in their spelling attempts than the other DLD group. With respect to phase models of spelling acquisition, our findings suggest that more advanced phases – like the orthographic and morphographic literacy phases – can be acquired even if the foundation processes are not well developed.
Monitoring anoxic depolarization at the bedside: A step closer to the 24th century
Authors: Ayata Cenk
Published: July 2018

Anoxic depolarization starts the clock for irreversible brain injury. Yet, this critical indicator has been highly elusive and notoriously difficult to capture using currently available clinical monitoring tools. Recent data suggest that it may be possible to detect anoxic depolarization at the bedside. Detection of such terminal events has far-reaching implications for diagnosis, prognostication, and neuroprotection, as well as the ethics of end-of-life decision-making in neurocritical care.
Validation and reproducibility of cardiovascular 4D-flow MRI from two vendors using 2 × 2 parallel imaging acceleration in pulsatile flow phantom and in vivo with and without respiratory gating
Authors: Bock Jelena , Töger Johannes , Bidhult Sebastian , Markenroth Bloch Karin , Arvidsson Per , Kanski Mikael , Arheden Håkan , Testud Frederik , Greiser Andreas , Heiberg Einar , Carlsson Marcus
Published: July 2018

Background

4D-flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used.

Purpose

To validate 4D-flow sequences in phantom and in vivo, comparing volume flow and kinetic energy (KE) head-to-head, with and without respiratory gating.

Material and Methods

Achieva dStream (Philips Healthcare) and MAGNETOM Aera (Siemens Healthcare) 1.5-T scanners were used. Phantom validation measured pulsatile, three-dimensional flow with 4D-flow MRI and laser particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) as reference standard. Ten healthy participants underwent three cardiac MRI examinations each, consisting of cine-imaging, 2D-flow (aorta, pulmonary artery), and 2 × 2 accelerated 4D-flow with (Resp+) and without (Resp−) respiratory gating. Examinations were acquired consecutively on both scanners and one examination repeated within two weeks. Volume flow in the great vessels was compared between 2D- and 4D-flow. KE were calculated for all time phases and voxels in the left ventricle.

Results

Phantom results showed high accuracy and precision for both scanners. In vivo, higher accuracy and precision ( P < 0.001) was found for volume flow for the Aera prototype with Resp+ (–3.7 ± 10.4 mL, r = 0.89) compared to the Achieva product sequence (–17.8 ± 18.6 mL, r = 0.56). 4D-flow Resp− on Aera had somewhat larger bias (–9.3 ± 9.6 mL, r = 0.90) compared to Resp+ ( P = 0.005). KE measurements showed larger differences between scanners on the same day compared to the same scanner at different days.

Conclusion

Sequence-specific in vivo validation of 4D-flow is needed before clinical use. 4D-flow with the Aera prototype sequence with a clinically acceptable acquisition time (<10 min) showed acceptable bias in healthy controls to be considered for clinical use. Intra-individual KE comparisons should use the same sequence.
Effects of right ventricular septum or His-bundle pacing versus right ventricular apical pacing on cardiac function: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Zhuang Lingfang , Mao Ye , Wu Liqun , Niu Wenquan , Chen Kang
Published: July 2018

Objective

Recent studies have demonstrated that right ventricular apical (RVA) pacing has a deleterious impact on left ventricular function, while right ventricular septum (RVS) or His-bundle pacing (HBP) contribute to improvements in cardiac function. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to compare the mid- and long-term effects of RVS and HB pacing versus RVA pacing on cardiac function.

Methods

Eligible RCTs were identified by systematically searching the electronic literature databases PubMed®, Cochrane Library, Embase® and Ovid®.

Results

Seventeen articles ( n = 1290 patients) were included in this meta-analysis, including 14 studies comparing the effects of RVA and RVS pacing on cardiac function and three studies comparing HBP with pacing at other sites. Compared with RVA pacing, RVS or HBP exhibited a higher left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (weighted mean difference 3.28; 95% confidence interval 1.45, 5.12) at the end of follow-up.

Conclusions

RVS pacing exhibited a higher LVEF after long-term follow-up than RVA pacing. RVS pacing could replace the previously used RVA pacing as a better alternative with improved clinical outcomes. However, there remains a need for larger RCTs to compare the safety and efficacy of RVS with RVA pacing.
Sugammadex affects emergence agitation in children undergoing strabismus surgery
Authors: Kim Young Sung , Cha Jae Ryung , Lee Yoon Sook , Kim Woon Young , Kim Jae Hwan , Kim Yun Hee
Published: July 2018

Objective

Emergence agitation (EA) has a multifactorial origin, and the effect of sugammadex on EA has not been established. We investigated the effect of sugammadex on EA incidence and severity.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of children aged 1 to 13 years who underwent strabismus surgery. Patients received sugammadex or conventional neuromuscular reversal agents. The primary outcome variables were EA incidence and severity. Secondary outcome variables were postoperative fentanyl use, postoperative nausea and vomiting, time from reversal agent administration to extubation, time from the end of surgery to arrival in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and time spent in the PACU. We used propensity score matching to eliminate baseline imbalances.

Results

Age, sex, use of desflurane, and intraoperative fentanyl were significant predictors of agitation severity using a multivariable analysis. Sugammadex did not significantly affect EA in logistic regression and multiple regression analyses. In the propensity-matched analysis, patients in the sugammadex group showed rapid recovery, but there was no difference in the EA incidence or severity.

Conclusion

Sugammadex did not affect EA incidence or severity compared with conventional cholinesterase inhibitors, although it showed a favorable recovery profile in children undergoing strabismus surgery.
Safety and efficacy of total parenteral nutrition versus total enteral nutrition for patients with severe acute pancreatitis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Li Wen , Liu Jixi , Zhao Shuqiao , Li Jingtao
Published: July 2018

Objective

This study was performed to systematically compare the safety and efficacy of total enteral nutrition (TEN) and total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP).

Methods

The PubMed database was searched up to January 2017, and nine studies were retrieved. These studies were selected according to specific eligibility criteria. The methodological quality of each trial was assessed, and the study design, interventions, participant characteristics, and final results were then analyzed by Review Manager 5.3 (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen, Denmark).

Results

Nine relevant randomized controlled trials involving 500 patients (244 patients in the TEN group and 256 patients in the TPN group) were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled analysis showed a significantly lower mortality rate in the TEN than TPN group [odds ratio (OR), 0.31; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.18–0.54]. The duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter in the TEN than TPN group (mean difference, −0.59; 95% CI, −2.56–1.38). Compared with TPN, TEN had a lower risk of pancreatic infection and related complications (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.22–0.77), organ failure (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.06–0.52), and surgical intervention (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.05–0.62).

Conclusions

This meta-analysis indicates that TEN is safer and more effective than TPN for patients with SAP. When both TEN and TPN have a role in the management of SAP, TEN is the preferred option.
Hypo-interventions: Intimate activism in toxic environments
Authors: Tironi Manuel
Published: July 2018

Chemical toxicity is part of everyday life in Puchuncaví. The most polluted industrial compound in Chile, Puchuncaví is home of fourteen industrial complexes, including the largest copper smelting plant in the country and four thermoelectric plants. Stories of biological mutation, corrosion and death among plants, humans, fishes and cattle are proliferate in Puchuncaví. Engaging with the growing interest in care and affective modes of attention within STS, this paper examines how ill, intoxicated or otherwise affected people in Puchuncaví act upon and know about their chronic sufferings. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, I focus on what I call ‘hypo-interventions’, or the minimal and unspectacular yet life-enabling practices of caring, cleaning and healing the ailments of their significant others, human and otherwise. By minutely engaging with somatic and affective alterations in the domestic spaces of the body, the home and the garden, Puchuncavinos render industrial harm visible and knowable, and hence a type of political action is invoked. While outside technical validation and alien to conventional politics, these actions have proved crucial for people in Puchuncaví striving to persevere in the face of industrial violence and institutional abandonment. I coin the term ‘intimate activism’ to describe the ethical and political affordances of the subdued doings and engagements deployed in Puchuncaví. Intimate activism, I claim, draws its political power on its capacity to create minimal conditions for ethical and material endurance.
Probation and Parole Officers’ Compliance With Case Management Tools: Professional Discretion and Override
Authors: Schaefer Lacey , Williamson Harley
Published: July 2018

Actuarial assessment has become an integral component of offender management, helping to structure the decision-making of correctional staff about offenders’ case plans. Despite research validating instruments and documenting best practices in offender assessment, fewer studies explore how practitioners use these diagnostic and case management tools. Using survey data from a sample of probation and parole staff, the current study examines the influence of professional characteristics, job burnout and stress, and supervision strategy preferences on noncompliance with assessment data entry and deviations from the tools’ risk and needs recommendations. Results indicate various forms of noncompliance with case management tools are fairly common. Staff with greater tenure and heightened depersonalization and emotional exhaustion exhibit greater odds of assessment noncompliance. Case managers who adopt surveillance and rehabilitation supervisory tactics are less likely to deviate from the tools’ processes and results, while staff who prefer opportunity-reduction strategies have increased odds of assessment noncompliance.
Activity Patterns Associated With Health Status in Later Life Among Singaporeans
Authors: Hong Song-Iee , Chokkanathan Srinivasan , Rozario Philip A.
Published: July 2018

Research on activities overlooks the possibility that older adults engage in different activities contemporaneously. To address this gap, we used latent class analyses to identify activity patterns and then examined demographic and health correlates of these patterns among a nationally representative sample of older adults in Singapore. We identified four classes of activities: the family-focused instrumental activity (FIA) class, the social leisure activity (SLA) class, the multidynamic activity (MDA) class, and the passive activity (PA) class. Furthermore, the MDA members showed higher scores in their mental health. Worse physical functioning and higher depression scores also increased the likelihood of being in the FIA and PA groups. Significant demographics such as gender, ethnicity, marital status, education, employment, house type, and income were related to heterogeneity in older adults’ activity patterns. Service providers might consider the impact of certain significant demographic and health-related correlates when planning programs to ensure greater reach and access.
Monitoring Instructional Responsiveness−Reading (MIR-R): Preliminary Validity and Reliability With Economically Diverse Learners
Authors: Park Yujeong , Martin Melissa , McCallum R. Steve , Bell Sherry M.
Published: July 2018

To preliminarily validate the Monitoring Instructional Responsiveness−Reading (MIR-R) for use in low-income settings, data were collected from 147 students from first through fifth grades who were primarily from low-income families. Data from three MIR-R components (Total Words Read, Ideas Attempted, Ideas Correct) and three related dependent measures (i.e., Test of Silent Contextual Reading Fluency [TOSCRF], Test of Silent Word Reading Fluency [TOSWRF], and Gray Silent Reading Test [GSRT]) were obtained across two time points (i.e., Time 1 and Time 2) in the same setting to address test–retest reliability and concurrent validity. Results showed (a) stability of the three MIR-R components scores over time, (b) strong correlations ( p < .05) between the MIR-R Total Words Read and Ideas Attempted and TOSWRF and TOSCRF, and (c) strong associations between MIR-R Ideas Correct and TOSCRF, TOSWRF, and GSRT in Time 1 and Time 2. Because these results showed strong associations between MIR-R and established measures of reading and because MIR-R can be administered in only 3 min, it may provide an efficient operationalization of student progress. Additional implications were discussed.
Are re-injured ligaments equivalent mechanically to injured ligaments: The role of re-injury severity?
Authors: Sevick Johnathan L , Heard Bryan J , Lo Ian KY , Randle John A , Frank Cyril B , Shrive Nigel G , Thornton Gail M
Published: July 2018

The consequences of ligament re-injury have received limited attention. Although the mechanical properties of injured ligaments improve over time, these properties are never fully recaptured, rendering these injured ligaments susceptible to re-injury. Previous injury is a significant risk factor for recurrent injury, and this re-injury can result in longer absence from activity than the initial injury. A rabbit medial collateral ligament model was used to compare mechanically re-injured right medial collateral ligaments to injured left medial collateral ligaments. Two groups of different re-injury severity were investigated: ‘minor’ re-injury comparing transection re-injured right medial collateral ligaments to transection injured left medial collateral ligaments; ‘major’ re-injury comparing gap re-injured right medial collateral ligaments to transection injured left medial collateral ligaments. Initial injuries for both groups were right medial collateral ligament transections 1 week before re-injury. After 5–6 weeks of healing, mechanical testing was performed to determine (dimensionally) cross-sectional area; (structurally) medial collateral ligament laxity, failure load, and stiffness; and (materially) cyclic creep strain and failure stress. Because we wanted to evaluate whether the mechanical properties of re-injured ligaments were equivalent or, at least, no worse than injured ligaments, we used equivalence/noninferiority testing. This approach evaluates a research hypothesis of equivalence, rather than difference, and determines whether comparisons are ‘statistically equivalent’, ‘noninferior’, or ‘potentially inferior’. Transection re-injured and gap re-injured ligaments were ‘statistically equivalent’ structurally to transection injured ligaments. Transection re-injured ligaments were ‘noninferior’ both materially and dimensionally to transection injured ligaments. Gap re-injured ligaments were ‘potentially inferior’ both materially and dimensionally to transection injured ligaments. Two differences between the re-injuries, which affect healing, may explain the mechanical outcomes: the presence or lack of healing products and the proximity of ligament ends at the time of re-injury. Our findings suggest that (in the short term) there is a severity of re-injury below which there is no additional disadvantage to the healing process, mechanical behaviour, and resulting potential for re-injury.
The contribution of the Italian literature to the international Accounting History literature
Authors: Maran Laura , Leoni Giulia
Published: July 2018

Italian and Anglo-Saxon accounting scholarships are rather different in their philosophical foundations and conceptual categories. Such difference has implications for Italian scholars aiming at contributing to the international accounting history (AH) literature. This work aims to qualify the contribution of Italian scholars to the AH literature. By means of a review of the AH publication patterns of Italian scholars both in Italian and English language, from 2010 to 2016, the analysis compares Italian and international outlets. Furthermore, the comparison considers the entrenched bi-lingual and cultural aspects, by highlighting the textual similarities and differences of specific contributions. With its results, the study adds to prior literature on the publishing patterns in AH, by shedding light on how Italian accounting historiography has developed in an international context. Moreover, this work highlights the challenges for Italian scholars willing to disseminate AH research outside their national context and promotes cross-country collaborations to expand the pathways, time and foci of international AH.
Evidence-Based Learning Strategies: Preparing Students With High-Incidence Disabilities for College
Authors: Ray Amber B.
Published: July 2018

An increasing number of students with disabilities now attend college, but many do not complete their college program due to poor grades. This may occur because students with high-incidence disabilities often struggle acquiring the academic skills essential to success in college. Teaching learning strategies to students with high-incidence disabilities in high school can help prepare them to be academically successful in college. Learning strategies are specific techniques used to help students approach and learn content material. This article presents five strategies for learning academic content that can be taught to students with high-incidence disabilities who aim to go to college. The learning strategies incorporate mnemonics and an evidence-based practice and are intended to improve students’ listening during class, effective note taking, reading content material, assignment completion, and test taking.