bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ВИКЛАДАННЯ СТОМАТОЛОГІЧНИХ АСПЕКТІВ ІНФЕКЦІЙНИХ ЗАХВОРЮВАНЬ НА ЦИКЛАХ ТЕМАТИЧНОГО УДОСКОНАЛЕННЯ ЛІКАРІВ-СТОМАТОЛОГІВ
Authors: Pavlenko O. V. , Volosovets T. M. , Doroshenko O. M. , Doroshenko M. V. , Bacshutova N. O.
Published: December 2019

Мета роботи – поліпшити набуття загальних та спеціальних компетентностей і засвоєння нових практичних навичок слухачами на кафедрі стоматології закладів (факультетів) післядипломної освіти щодо діагностування та тактики дій при ураженнях слизової оболонки порожнини рота при інфекційних хворобах.

Основна частина. У статті наведено сучасні дидактичні підходи викладачів Інституту стоматології Національної медичної академії післядипломної освіти імені П. Л. Шупика  МОЗ України до викладання питань уражень слизової оболонки порожнини рота при поширених інфекційних хворобах у процесі безперервного професійного розвитку лікарів-стоматологів з оволодінням ними новими загальними та спеціальними компетенціями та практичними навичками.

Висновок. Набуття лікарями-стоматологами нових компетентностей та вдосконалення практичних навичок при їх підготовці на циклах тематичного удосконалення стоматологічних кафедрах закладів (факультетів) післядипломної освіти щодо діагностики та лікування уражень слизової порожнини рота при поширених інфекційних захворюваннях із використанням сучасних технологій є важливою складовою їх безперервного професійного розвитку та потребує запровадження як окрема складова у навчальний процес у масштабах країни.
Transition Scale-Spaces: A Computational Theory for the Discretized Entorhinal Cortex
Authors: Waniek Nicolai
Published: December 2019

Although hippocampal grid cells are thought to be crucial for spatial navigation, their computational purpose remains disputed. Recently, they were proposed to represent spatial transitions and convey this knowledge downstream to place cells. However, a single scale of transitions is insufficient to plan long goal-directed sequences in behaviorally acceptable time.

Here, a scale-space data structure is suggested to optimally accelerate retrievals from transition systems, called transition scale-space (TSS). Remaining exclusively on an algorithmic level, the scale increment is proved to be ideally [Formula: see text] for biologically plausible receptive fields. It is then argued that temporal buffering is necessary to learn the scale-space online. Next, two modes for retrieval of sequences from the TSS are presented: top down and bottom up. The two modes are evaluated in symbolic simulations (i.e., without biologically plausible spiking neurons). Additionally, a TSS is used for short-cut discovery in a simulated Morris water maze. Finally, the results are discussed in depth with respect to biological plausibility, and several testable predictions are derived. Moreover, relations to other grid cell models, multiresolution path planning, and scale-space theory are highlighted. Summarized, reward-free transition encoding is shown here, in a theoretical model, to be compatible with the observed discretization along the dorso-ventral axis of the medial entorhinal cortex. Because the theoretical model generalizes beyond navigation, the TSS is suggested to be a general-purpose cortical data structure for fast retrieval of sequences and relational knowledge.

Source code for all simulations presented in this paper can be found at https://github.com/rochus/transitionscalespace .
Face Representations via Tensorfaces of Various Complexities
Authors: Lehky Sidney R. , Phan Anh Huy , Cichocki Andrzej , Tanaka Keiji
Published: December 2019

Neurons selective for faces exist in humans and monkeys. However, characteristics of face cell receptive fields are poorly understood. In this theoretical study, we explore the effects of complexity, defined as algorithmic information (Kolmogorov complexity) and logical depth, on possible ways that face cells may be organized. We use tensor decompositions to decompose faces into a set of components, called tensorfaces, and their associated weights, which can be interpreted as model face cells and their firing rates. These tensorfaces form a high-dimensional representation space in which each tensorface forms an axis of the space. A distinctive feature of the decomposition algorithm is the ability to specify tensorface complexity. We found that low-complexity tensorfaces have blob-like appearances crudely approximating faces, while high-complexity tensorfaces appear clearly face-like. Low-complexity tensorfaces require a larger population to reach a criterion face reconstruction error than medium- or high-complexity tensorfaces, and thus are inefficient by that criterion. Low-complexity tensorfaces, however, generalize better when representing statistically novel faces, which are faces falling beyond the distribution of face description parameters found in the tensorface training set. The degree to which face representations are parts based or global forms a continuum as a function of tensorface complexity, with low and medium tensorfaces being more parts based. Given the computational load imposed in creating high-complexity face cells (in the form of algorithmic information and logical depth) and in the absence of a compelling advantage to using high-complexity cells, we suggest face representations consist of a mixture of low- and medium-complexity face cells.
Poe and the Apocalyptic Sublime
Authors: Cook Jonathan A.
Published: December 2019

This essay examines “The Masque of the Read Death,” one of Poe’s most allusive tales, as a striking example of the aesthetics of the apocalyptic sublime. Combining several key ideas from Burke’s Philosophical Enquiry into the Origins of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful with numerous motifs from biblical apocalyptic symbolism, Poe’s “Masque” was specifically designed to create an effect of sublime terror in the reader. Basing his image of mass death on the cholera pandemic of 1832, which killed thousands of individuals in Europe and America, Poe created a historically grounded parable of apocalyptic extinction with a myriad of connections with literary, biblical, and artistic tradition. Poe’s tale echoes many of Burke’s remarks on the nature and sources of sublime and beautiful effects while conveying a biblically based vision of human mortality.
Neighbors and Faith in Community
Authors: Feeser Andrea
Published: December 2019

Artist Jimmie Durham’s neighborhood and Madre Museum nativities (presepi) reflect his aesthetic: they are composed of found and gifted natural and manmade materials, bear marks of the artist’s making process, and take representational or abstracted forms that instantiate Durham’s ways of sensing and thinking. Made from what many would consider trash and shaped into sensitively-crafted, diverse-looking entities assembled alongside one another, Durham’s presepi communicate his ethics: care for and engagement with what is often overlooked, taken for granted, or disregarded. As with all of his work, the presepi respond to specific places, beings, and conditions; spark considered reflection; and encourage interaction that inspires better ways of living with others. Durham’s presepi do this in the context of Christian faith in Naples, but extend beyond this realm to model respectful interaction with difference in its many incarnations.
Jalāl ad-Dīn ad-Dawānī’s Solution to the Liar Paradox and Its Reception in Qāḍī Mubārak and Mullā Mubīn
Authors: Rezakhany Hassan John
Published: December 2019

I examine the views of Jalāl ad-Dīn ad-Dawānī (d. 1502) on the Liar paradox and their reception in the work of Qāḍī Mubārak (d. 1748) and Mullā Mubīn (d. 1810). Dawānī argues that the Liar sentence is neither true nor false since it is not the kind of utterance that is capable of bearing a truth-value (i.e., it is not truth-apt). In the course of justifying this view, he proposes a criterion for a sentence’s being truth-apt and attempts to counter a number of objections. I address two of these: one involves certain intuitively true or false self-referential sentences and the other is the ‘strengthened Liar.’ I then argue that both Qāḍī Mubārak and Mullā Mubīn present a version of the solution Dawānī gives in his Sharḥ at-Tahdhīb and, moreover, that Dawānī does not endorse this solution in all his other works. Furthermore, the solution they attribute to Dawānī differs slightly from the one he gives in his Sharḥ at-Tahdhīb in terms of how the major premise is justified. I present evidence which shows that this modification was inspired by Mīr Zāhid al-Harawī’s (d. 1689) gloss on Dawānī’s Sharḥ at-Tahdhīb.
Thyroid Extraction Based on Artificial Immune Network with Firefly Algorithm in Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography Image
Authors: Liu Yuejun , Ma Liyong , Zhang Yong
Published: December 2019

Thyroid extraction from single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) image is an important primary work for medical image analysis and computer aided diagnosis. However, SPECT image of thyroid does not have a clear margin boundary compared with ultrasound or CT images. A thyroid
extraction method for SPECT Image based on artificial immune network that is optimized with firefly algorithm is developed. Artificial immune network is employed for discovering the correlation between spatial distance and pixel value by samples selection, and firefly algorithm with adaptive
step is used for optimization the samples selection. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is efficient with less extraction error which is superior to other extraction methods. The average error of the proposed method is 21.9% and 14.4% less than that of sampling method
and global sampling method, respectively. And the proposed method is also robust for initial regions with varies radius. The experiments reveal that the proposed method is more efficient than other sampling methods with different trimaps.
Stereo Matching Method Based on Combination Characteristic Cost Computing and Unstable Tree Reconstruction Optimization and Its Application in Medical Images
Authors: Yu Shuchun , He Yupeng , Chen Zhifeng , Ru Changhai , Pang Ming
Published: December 2019

This study aimed to propose a stereo matching method based on the cost calculation of combination feature and reconstruction optimization of an unstable tree. For cost calculation, the improved Census transform was used to calculate the illumination characteristics, the color and gradient
operators were used to calculate the color features, and the LBP (Local Binary Pattern) operator was used to calculate the texture features. Then, the initial matching cost was calculated by combining all three features. For cost aggregation, the minimum spanning tree algorithm was improved
and the tree aggregation window was reset. For disparity optimization, the stability parameters were constructed to judge the stability of the tree aggregation window, and unstable trees were disassembled, reconstructed, incorporated into the surrounding stable trees. In the reconstruction
process, the effects of error disparity ratio difference, brightness difference, and disparity difference were considered comprehensively. The experimental results showed that the performance of the proposed method was obviously better than that of the stereo matching method based on the minimum
spanning tree, and was close to that of the two globally optimized stereo matching methods. Further, the method was applied to stereo matching of uterine images, and the depth information was rich in the disparity images, showing that this method could provide a basis for medical diagnosis.
A Modified Convolutional Neural Network for ECG Beat Classification
Authors: Yang Lulu , Zhu Junjiang , Yan Tianhong , Wang Zhaoyang , Wu Shangshi
Published: December 2019

Most convolutional neural networks (CNNs) used to classify electrocardiogram (ECG) beats tend to focus only on the beat, ignoring its relationships with its surrounding beats. This study aimed to propose a hybrid convolutional neural network (HCNN) structure, which classified ECG beats
based on the beat's morphology and relationship such as RR intervals. The difference between the HCNN and the traditional CNN lies in the fact that the relationship can be added to any layer in the former. The HCNN was fed with RR intervals at 3 different positions, trained using data from
2170 patients. It was then evaluated with labeled clinical data from 2102 patients to classify ECG beats into premature ventricular contraction beat, atrial premature contraction beat (APC), left bundle branch block beat, right bundle branch block beat, and normal sinus beat. The results showed
that the performance of the proposed HCNN method (with an average score of 86.61% on 12 leads) was 3.31% higher than that of the traditional CNN (83.30%) on the test set. In particular, the APC improved most significantly from 57.67% to 76.92% in terms of sensitivity and from 58.80% to 78.46%
in terms of the positive predictive value in lead V1.
DsUnet: A New Network Structure for Detection and Segmentation of Ultrasound Breast Lesions
Authors: Cui Shaoguo , Chen Moyu , Liu Chang
Published: December 2019

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among the women worldwide. The clinical medical system urgently needs an accurate and automatic breast segmentation method in order to detect the breast ultrasound lesions. Recently, some studies show that deep learning methods based
on fully convolutional network, have demonstrated a competitive performance in breast ultrasound segmentation. However, some features are missed in the Unet in case of down-sampling that results in a low segmentation accuracy. Furthermore, there is a semantic gap between the feature maps of
decoder and encoder in Unet, so the simple fusion of high and low level features is not conducive to the semantic classification of pixels. In addition, the poor quality of breast ultrasound also affects the accuracy of image segmentation. To solve these problems, we propose a new end-toend
network model called Dense skip Unet (DsUnet), which consists of the Unet backbone, short skip connection and deep supervision. The proposed method can effectively avoid the missing of feature information caused by down-sampling and implement the fusion of multilevel semantic information.
We used a new loss function to optimize the DsUnet, which is composed of a binary cross-entropy and dice coefficient. We employed the True Positive Fraction (TPF), False Positives per image (FPs) and F -measure as performance metrics for evaluating various methods. In this paper, we
adopted the UDIAT 212 dataset and the experimental results validate that our new approach achieved better performance than other existing methods in detecting and segmenting the ultrasound breast lesions. When we used the DsUnet model and new loss function (binary cross-entropy + dice coefficient),
the best performance indexes can be achieved, i.e., 0.87 in TPF, 0.13 in FPs/image and 0.86 in F-measure.
Preliminary Research on Depression Treatment: Combination of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and MRI-Guided Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Pulsation
Authors: Li Xu , Weng Fei , Sun Wenbo , Liu Ruolan , Xu Haibo
Published: December 2019

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common but serious mood disorder. When traditional medication treatment does not reduce symptoms, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), neuromodulation has become increasingly
relevant to clinical research. However, TMS has significant drawback in the lack of depth and special specificity. In the last few years low-intensity focused ultrasound pulsation (LIFUP) has been used to be focused noninvasively through the skull anywhere within the brain, together with functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) guided techniques, LIFUP can be applied to deep structures with greater spatial precision. In this manuscript, combination of TMS and fMRI-guided LIFUP on the treatment of depression was proposed to achieve the benefits of both. The data of the combined methods
demonstrate significantly better clinical results in comparison to the control group, as measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) scale, Geriatric Depression scale (GDS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) with low adverse reaction.
Effects of Mindful Breathing on Rapid Hypoxia Preacclimatization Training
Authors: Xue Yong , Yang Jun , Feng Yutao , Zhou Yubin , Qin Yufei , Li Yang , Li Yuwen , Ren Qiushi , Liu Chengyu , Cao Zhengtao
Published: December 2019

Rapid exposure at high altitude is likely to cause Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) of different levels. This paper designs a "quick acclimatization" method to make the volunteers adapt to 3,600 meters (m) after 2-day training and 3,900 m after 3-day training. Especially, we investigate
the effects of mindful breathing on rapid hypoxia preacclimatization training. 8 young male volunteers were randomly divided into one treatment group and one control group. Peripheral Saturation of Oxygen (SpO2), Heart Rate (HR) and Respiratory Rate (RR) were recorded from the beginning
to the end. We find that: (1) Hypoxic Preacclimatization Training Scheme (HPTS): at 3600 m, the increment of SpO2 was 3.18% after 2-day training (P < 0.01); at 3900 m, 8 volunteers got obviously higher SpO2 (2.65%, P < 0.05) and lower HR (–5.31
bpm, P < 0.05) after 3-day training. (2) Mindful Breathing Training Scheme (MBTS): at 3,600 m, the treatment group obtained better SpO2 level (2.21%) with obviously lower HR (–7.1 bpm) and unobvious higher RR (2.85 br/min) than control group after 2-day training;
at 3900 m, the treatment group did not show a significant difference after 3-day training. Besides, the treatment group exhibited a comprehensive better performance over the control group at night, which obtained a higher SpO2 with lower HR and lower RR. In the comparison of different
altitudes, the two groups had similar RR while the treatment group had a higher SpO2 (P < 0.05) and a lower HR (P < 0.001). In the dynamic comparison during mindful breathing training, SpO2 occurred remarkable differences: P < 0.05 every
15 minutes started from the 45th minute. We conclude that HPTS successfully helped volunteers adapt to the setting altitude in a short time. MBTS can induce significant phenomenon of sustained gain effect. It can effectively increase the acclimatization speed to quickly return to lower HR
and RR and obtain higher SpO2. MBTS can enable beginners without any experience of mindfulness and breathing training to initially stimulate the trend of "energy-saving" acclimatization in 2–3 days.
A Novel 3D U-Net Deep Network with Paralleling Structure for Stroke Lesion Image Segmentation
Authors: Fan Chunjiang , Wang Zijian , Li Gang , Luo Jian , Cao Yang , Hu Zhenyu , Wang Haoran , Cao Lei
Published: December 2019

Image segmentation technologies play a crucial role in medical diagnosis. This paper proposed a novel paralleling structure based on conventional 3D U-net deep network for improving the performance of CT image segmentation. In our model architecture, a new connection channel from analysis
path to synthesis path was constructed for exploiting feature maps from deep spatial dimensions. 60 CT scan images of stroke patients were collected for lesion location. Finally, there were 36 valid data were selected for further analysis. The improved method led to better achievement for
this task, which segment stroke CT scan images into healthy parts and injury parts. The performance on the test set obtained by our method was compared with other state-of-art U-net models, to demonstrate the effectiveness of our architecture. Furthermore, the result verified that paralleling
structure was useful for the convergence of loss curve.
Heart Sound Signal Quality Assessment Based on Multi-Domain Features
Authors: Jiao Yu , Wang Xinpei , Liu Changchun , Li Han , Zhang Huan , Hu Ying , Liu Runkun , Ji Bing
Published: December 2019

Heart sound is one of the most important physiological signals of our body, including a large number of physiological and pathological information that can reflect the cardiovascular status. This study aims to develop a heart sound signal quality assessment method. In view of the 3
common noises (deep breath, speaking and cough) in clinical data collection, a total of 72 features were extracted from 6 domains, i.e., time, frequency, entropy, energy, high-order statistics and cyclostationarity. Then information gain, which was used as feature selection method, as well
as statistical analysis were employed for dimension reduction. A SVM with radial basis kernel function was trained for final signal quality classification. The best effect was obtained on distinguishing resting from cough and the result showed that the classification performance was significantly
improved after feature selection. In contrast, statistical analysis had little effect on the improvement of classification results. The best accuracy in distinguishing between resting and deep breath, resting and speaking, resting and cough is 87.73%, 95.00%, 98.64%, respectively. These results
indicate that the proposed method is effective for identifying different noise states, namely cough, speaking and deep breath.
Ultrasound Speckle Tracking with Deep Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Yu Xia , Wang Hongjie , Ma Liyong
Published: December 2019

Ultrasonic imaging is convenient and safe for cardiovascular disease diagnosis. Speckle tracking can obtain accurate myocardial movement data and provide important information for the diagnosis of cardiac function. Block matching method and optical flow method are the most commonly
used speckle tracking methods. However, the accuracy of these methods cannot meet the needs of clinical application. Deep learning is applied to speckle tracking technology. Based on the correlation filters given to the deep convolution network, the migration learning method is introduced
to obtain the feature mapping on the convolution layer on the pre-trained ImageNet VGG19 network. The feature mapping is used as the training data of correlation filters, and the tracking results obtained from convolution layers with different depths are filtered frame by frame, giving different
weights to obtain the optimal tracking position within a certain search range. Then the correlation filter is updated to track the myocardial motion. The proposed deep learning based method has better accuracy for myocardial motion tracking, which indicates that the target tracking method
based on convolutional neural network has potential advantages in this field.
A Parallel Ensemble Fuzzy Classifier for Diabetes Diagnosis
Authors: Zhang Xiongtao , Jiang Yunliang , Hu Wenjun , Wang Shitong
Published: December 2019

Diabetes is one of the deadliest disease on the planet. It isn't just an ailment yet additionally a maker of various types of maladies like heart assault, blurred vision, nephropathy and dyspnea. When decision-making process by traditional machine learning methods for a patient is made,
it often face the following challenges: (1) some uncertain factors exist in the patient or the decision-making process which often result in misdiagnosis; (2) the decision-making process with traditional machine learning methods are block-box which are not interpretable. In this paper, a parallel-based
fuzzy partition and fuzzy weighted ensemble TSK (Takagi-Sugeno-Kang) fuzzy classifier called FP-TSK-FW is proposed for diabetes diagnosis by utilizing its strong uncertainty-handling capability and interpretability so as to achieve promising classification performance. In FP-TSK-FW, the training
dataset firstly is partitioned into several subsets by fuzzy clustering algorithm FCM on certain attributes, each interpretable TSK fuzzy subclassifier on each training subset can be quickly built in parallel, and with different structures. Finally, the final prediction of FP-TSK-FW is realized
by fuzzy weighted for the results of each classifier. The experimental results on Pima Indians Diabetes dataset indicate the effectiveness of the proposed methods in the sense of both enhanced classification performance and interpretability.
Effect of pre-strain on the fatigue behavior of SAPH440 steel
Authors: Zhao Li-Hui , Cai Hong-Chang , Weng Shuo , Zheng Song-Lin
Published: December 2019

The present research envisages the effects of different uniaxial tensile pre-strain levels on the fatigue properties of the SAPH440 steel. The S-N curves of different pre-strain levels (0%, 6%, 12%, 18%) were drawn using different load levels, with a stress ratio R = –1.
The test results show that the fatigue strength of the SAPH440 steel increased with an increasement in the uniaxial tensile pre-strain levels. The static tensile test was carried out on different uniaxial tensile and different pre-strain levels specimens. The results show that with an increase
in the uniaxial tensile pre-strain levels, the degree of work hardening of the SAPH440 steel and the static strength increased. Additionally, the hardening index and the elongation at break reduced, while the tensile strength and yield strength increased. TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy)
observation of the test samples with different pre-strain levels showed that the dislocation density of different pre-strain levels specimens increased with an increasement in the pre-strain levels. This resulted in an increasement in the fatigue strength of the SAPH440 steel, the degree of
work hardening, and the static strength. However, compared with fatigue strength, the increase of dislocation density has a more significant effect on static strength.
A new biosafe reactive oxygen species responsive nanoplatform for targeted oral squamous cell carcinoma therapy
Authors: Wang Fengying , Wang Miao , Zhao Lu , Li Qing
Published: December 2019

A new reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive drug delivery systems (DDSs) needs development and has excellent application prospect. In this study, FA-PEG-TK-PLGA copolymer containing a ROS-responsive TK linker was designed and generated. The polymer self-assembled into stable small-sized
DDSs into with hydrophilic PEG shells and hydrophobic PLGA cores, which exhibited high stability in aqueous solutions, besides an adequate drug loading capacity, excellent ROS sensitivity. high stability and good compatibility. Folic acid (FA) in the DDS presented here was used to target cancer
cells. The polymer presents great potential as a novel DDSs for Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) therapy.
Joint Growth Trajectories of Bullying Perpetration and Victimization Among Korean Adolescents: Estimating a Second-Order Growth Mixture Model–Factor-of-Curves With Low Self-Control and Opportunity Correlates
Authors: Cho Sujung , Lee Jin Ree
Published: December 2019

Joint growth trajectories of bullying perpetration and victimization were examined using 5-year panel data (2004–2008) from a sample of 2,844 South Korean adolescents between the ages of 11 and 15 (fourth to eighth grade). The second-order growth mixture model revealed three distinct subgroups: bully-victims to low bully-victims transition (9.9%); moderate bully-victims to victim transition (6.8%); and a limited involvement/stable group (83.3%). Respondents with less self-control who associated with delinquent peers were more likely to be members of both the bully-victims to low bully-victims transition and the moderate bully-victims to victim transition groups, compared with the limited involvement/stable group. Relative to the limited involvement/stable group, adolescents with less self-control were more likely to be members of both transition groups even after controlling for opportunity measures. Delinquent peer associations partially mediated these associations.
Gender Differences in Risk and Protective Factors Among Youth With EBD: Findings From the NLTS2
Authors: Novak Abigail , Poling Daniel , Muller Rebecca , Peyton David
Published: December 2019

Using data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2), we examined risk and protective factors associated with post-secondary outcomes among youth with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Results indicate that, compared to their male peers, females with EBD demonstrated higher levels of social and behavioral skills and higher grades. We also discovered discrepancies between teacher reports and female students’ self-reports of academic, social, and behavioral competencies, suggesting females with EBD underestimate their own skills or that teachers are not fully aware of these students’ areas of difficulty. We discuss implications of these results related to existing prevention and intervention strategies for females with EBD.
Vision of Research on Human Linear Growth
Authors: Solomons Noel W.
Published: December 2019

The human body grows in length from conception to the maximal adult height over two decades. The shortest male population averages ∼150 cm and the tallest ∼183 cm. Nonetheless the dimensions of head and trunk are highly comparable, with the vast difference in the leg length. Stunting is a personal condition in which an individual has a standing height-for-age (HAZ) of less than two standard deviations of the standard curve median. It is associated with increased mortality, morbidity, and functional deficits. The process of losing relative stature is known as linear growth retardation, first attributed to chronic protein deficiency, then to an assortment of micronutrient deficiencies, and most recently to inflammation from unhygienic environmental conditions. Public health intervention trials responding to each of these possibilities have failed to produce true reversal responses measured in the 10s of centimeters. As to biological insights, there is no convenient way to separate weight from length growth with sonographic monitoring, but a third of infants can be born stunted. Normative growth (standard curves) competes with epigenetic adaptation (programming) as the beacon for in utero growth. Major investments into field trials allow us to discard multiple micronutrients and water/sanitation/hygiene interventions as measures to reverse established stunting. The preponderance of evidence is against catch-up growth during puberty. Future publications will be in the conceptual domain, resolving metrics, while the full range of stimuli and exposures impeding growth will be elucidated. Advances in measurement techniques in anthropometry and immunology and endocrinology will be mobilized to the literature.
Validation of the French Version of the Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale in a Sample of Hallucinating Patients with Schizophrenia: Validation de la version française de l’échelle d’évaluation des hallucinations auditives dans un échantillon de patients souffrant de schizophrénie et ayant des hallucinations
Authors: Dondé Clément , Haesebaert Frédéric , Poulet Emmanuel , Mondino Marine , Brunelin Jérôme
Published: December 2019

Objective:

The aim of this study was to validate the French version of the 7-item Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale (AHRS) so as to facilitate fine-grained assessment of auditory hallucinations (AH) in native French-speaking patients with schizophrenia (SZ) in clinical settings and studies.

Method:

Patients ( N = 66) were diagnosed with SZ according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The French version of the AHRS was developed using a forward–backward translation procedure. Psychometric properties of the French version of the AHRS were tested including (i) construct validity with a confirmatory one-factor analysis, (ii) internal validity with Pearson correlations and Cronbach α coefficients, and (iii) external validity by correlations with the Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS-H1), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS-P3; concurrent), the PANSS-Negative subscale and age of subjects (divergent), and inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Results:

(i) The confirmatory one-factor analysis found a root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.00, 90% confidence interval = [0.000 to 0.011], and a comparative fit index = 0.994. (ii) Correlations between AHRS total score and individual items were mostly ≥0.4. Cronbach α coefficient was 0.61. (iii) Correlations with PANSS-P3 and SAPS-H1 were 0.42 and 0.53, respectively. In a subset of participants ( N = 16), ICC values were extremely high and significant for AHRS total and individual item scores (ICCs range 0.899 to 0.996)

Conclusion:

The French version of the AHRS is a psychometrically acceptable instrument for the evaluation of AH severity in French-speaking patients with SZ.
Deep Ecology and Ecofeminism: Social Work to Address Global Environmental Crisis
Authors: Klemmer Cary L. , McNamara Kathleen A.
Published: December 2019

There is emerging global agreement that environmental change is one of the greatest threats to ecosystems, culture, health, and economies of humankind. In response to these environmental changes and the expected human vulnerability they will continue to produce, the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare has highlighted intervention to address the human impacts of the changing climate as one of the profession’s grand challenges. This article troubles the often anthropocentric worldview from which such responses emerge and proposes a framework informed by the wisdom of deep ecology and ecofeminism. Born from critical methodologies that question the rigid bifurcation and valuation of male/female and human/nonhuman, these perspectives invite social workers to think in novel ways about environmental challenges. We argue that the social work profession, which has historically sought to disturb power dynamics and reprioritize society’s needs, is uniquely situated to think holistically about responding to this crisis. By honoring the interrelated nature of human and nonhumankind, social workers can more mindfully lead the social planning and advocacy efforts necessary to meet this grand challenge.
Using QR Code Technology to Reduce Self-Administered Medication Errors
Authors: Svensk Johanna , McIntyre Scott E.
Published: December 2019

Background:

Data indicate there are tens of thousands of self-administered medication errors each year in the United States alone.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to determine whether information embedded in Quick Response (QR) codes could reduce self-administered medication errors compared to current medication labeling among older and younger age groups.

Methods:

Two population samples (Arizona State University undergraduates and senior citizens over 70; n = 55) were recruited for participation. Participants were randomly assigned to 2 groups: one with access to QR code-based information (graphic and text) and a second group with only bottle label information. Participants were allowed 30 minutes to answer 17 scenario-based questions about administering their medications.

Results:

Statistically significant main effects of more correct answers when using QR code than current bottle labeling, F 1, 51 = 181.57, P < .001, η2 = 0.78, and for younger adults compared to older, F 1, 51 = 24.4, P < .001, η2 = 0.33.

Conclusion:

The study supports the use of QR code technology to increase patient safety of self-administered medications in both older and younger age groups. Future research is needed to address the technological and usability aspects of implementation (eg, phone app, voice, graphic, and text presentation).
Compensating for Sexual Identity: How LGB and Heterosexual Australian Police Officers Perceive Policing of LGBTIQ+ People
Authors: Miles-Johnson Toby , Death Jodi
Published: December 2019

Police officers are highly criticized for their differential policing of people categorized by identity. One such group who has experienced differential policing is the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) community. Contributing new knowledge to the extant policing literature regarding intersectional identities of Australian police officers and perceptions of policing, this research applies Social Identity Theory to understand differences between lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and heterosexual self-identified general-duties police officers ( N = 349) and policing of LGBTIQ+ people. Using an online survey, results suggest the sexual identity of a general-duties police officer does shape perceptions of policing of LGBTIQ+ people. Furthermore, there are distinct differences in the way heterosexual and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) self-identified officers perceive police engagement with LGBTIQ+ people, with LGB and heterosexual self-identified officers equally compensating for their sexual identity in terms of policing LGBTIQ+ people and distancing themselves from the LGBTIQ+ community.
Who Are Hospice Patients and What Care Is Provided in Hospices? A Pilot Study
Authors: Koorn Remco M. , van Klinken Merel , de Graaf Everlien , Bressers Rick E. G. W. , Jobse Adri P. , van der Baan Frederieke , Teunissen Saskia C.C.M.
Published: December 2019

Background:

Hospices provide multidimensional care. In the Netherlands, patients with <3 months estimated life expectancy have access to hospice care. Insight into patients admitted to hospices and the care provided is lacking. In preparation for a national multicenter study, a pilot study was performed.

Objective:

The primary objective was to test the appropriateness of the study procedures and the availability of hospice patient records (HPRs), and patient and care characteristics.

Method:

A cross-sectional pilot study was performed using a descriptive exploratory design. Sixteen hospices were invited to participate, and HPRs from 8 deceased patients per hospice were selected. Data were collected using self-developed electronic case report forms.

Outcomes:

(1). Appropriateness of procedures: availability of HPRs and identified barriers and strategies. (2) Availability of patient and care characteristics in HPRs.

Results:

In total, 104 HPRs of patients from 13 hospices were enrolled. Various types of HPRs were found with different availabilities: nurses’ records were most available (98%) compared to volunteers’ records (62%). Overarching barriers were as follows: ethical issues, lack of knowledge, and lack of communication. Information about the illness was most available (97%), whereas descriptions of experienced symptoms were least available (10%).

Conclusion:

Collecting HPRs is difficult and time-consuming. Specifically, data from separate records of home care nurses and general practitioners were difficult to come by. Patient and care characteristics were alternately present, which led to an extension of data collection in HPRs to 3 time periods. Piloting is essential to adjust study procedures and outcome measures to ensure a feasible national multicenter hospice study.
Neonatal Mandibular Distraction Does Not Increase Inpatient Complications
Authors: Lee Kevin C. , Eisig Sidney B. , Chuang Sung-Kiang , Perrino Michael A.
Published: December 2019

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to determine whether performing mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) during the neonatal period increased inpatient complications as measured through health-care burden.

Materials and Methods:

This was a retrospective cohort study of the Kids’ Inpatient Database from 2000 to 2011. Infants receiving MDO prior to 12 months of age were included. The primary study predictor was distraction age, classified as either neonatal or non-neonatal. Secondary predictors were patient demographics, hospitalization characteristics, diagnoses, and procedures. The outcomes were the number of procedures performed, postoperative length of stay (pLOS), hospital charges, and the discharge transfer rate. Outcomes were compared between the primary predictors using χ2 and independent 2-sample t tests. Multiple linear and logistic regression models were created using clinically relevant predictors to assess the independent effect of neonatal age on each outcome.

Results:

The study sample contained 102 patients, of who 50 (49.0%) were distracted in the neonatal period. Neonatal MDO patients were more likely to have a cleft palate (86.0% vs 55.8%; P < .001) and present with feeding difficulties (38.0% vs 19.2%; P = .036) that were treated through total parenteral nutrition (26.0% vs 9.6%; P = .030) but otherwise did not have significantly different characteristics compared to non-neonatal patients. The multiple regression models confirmed that neonatal age did not influence any of the study outcomes, although other secondary predictors were found to influence the pLOS, hospital charges, and number of inpatient procedures.

Conclusions:

Neonatal MDO was not associated with increased complications. At experienced centers, neonatal status should not be considered a contraindication to treatment.
Empowering Patients in Integrated Behavioral Health-Care Settings: A Narrative Approach to Medical Family Therapy
Authors: Rajaei Afarin , Jensen Jakob F.
Published: December 2019

Integrated behavioral health care (IBHC) provides patient-centered care, which assures full considerations of patients’ needs and promotes patients having a voice in decisions about their own health care. In this article, we consider narrative therapy as an empowering, nonpathologizing, and collaborative approach for medical family therapists and behavioral health practitioners to better help patients, families, and health-care systems in IBHC settings. Clinical examples are provided for effectively utilizing narrative therapy in IBHC settings across various stages of treatment. Using narrative medical family therapy informed by cultural humility, therapists can empower patients, help them reauthor their story through the lens of their experience, and validate their worldviews.
Development and Validation of the College Social–Emotional Crossroads Inventory
Authors: Garriott Patton O. , Chao Helen , Jessen Mackenzie , Jordan Ree Ae , Galluzzo Joseph , Hadjeasgari Courtney , Son Yeji , Garza Christina , Faris Eve , Allan Blake A.
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this study was to develop and provide initial validity evidence for the College Social–Emotional Crossroads Inventory (C-SECI). A sample (N = 751) of undergraduate students was randomly split into two samples for exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results of exploratory factor analysis indicated that three factors should be extracted from the data and that the items comprised three subscales: Campus Cultural Fit, Academic Capital, and School–Family Integration. A confirmatory factor analysis suggested a bifactor structure was the best representation of the C-SECI items. Furthermore, scores on the C-SECI subscales correlated in expected directions with measures of institutional classism, academic self-efficacy, academic progress, global stress, first-generation college student status, subjective social status, and family income. The C-SECI is a brief measure that can be used to capture tensions students may experience between their postsecondary institutions and families and communities of origin.
Children With ADHD Engage in Less Physical Activity
Authors: Mercurio Laura Y. , Amanullah Siraj , Gill Natasha , Gjelsvik Annie
Published: December 2019

Background: Children with ADHD should engage in physical activity, given its known role as a treatment adjunct. Objective: The main objective of this study is to assess the relationship between ADHD diagnosis and physical activity among children in the United States. Methods: This retrospective population-based cross-sectional study used data from the 2016 caregiver reported, National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH). Results: In the adjusted binary model, children with an ADHD diagnosis had 21% lower odds of engaging in daily physical activity than their nondiagnosed counterparts. In the adjusted multinomial model, children with ADHD were increasingly unlikely to report additional days of physical activity as compared to those without a diagnosis. Conclusion: Given the known benefits of physical activity for those with ADHD, this study underscores the need for enhanced access to an important treatment adjunct for this population.
Methylene Blue–Based Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging for Breast Cancer Visualization in Resected Human Tissues
Authors: Zhang Chong , Jiang Daqing , Huang Bo , Wang Cong , Zhao Lin , Xie Xianxin , Zhang Zhaohe , Wang Kun , Tian Jie , Luo Yahong
Published: December 2019

Breast-conserving surgery is facing the challenge of objective tumor margin identification intraoperatively. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging would be an ideal approach to visualize tumor margins during surgeries. In this preliminary study, the feasibility of methylene blue–based near-infrared fluorescence imaging technique for breast cancer detection was assessed in resected human breast specimens after breast cancer surgeries. Thirty patients with breast cancer scheduled for surgical treatment were enrolled, including 10 patients with preoperative chemotherapy and 20 patients without. Each of them received an injection of 1 mg/kg methylene blue intravenously 3 hours before the surgery. Then, a home-developed methylene blue–specific near-infrared fluorescence imaging system was employed to image the resected breast tissues and identify the tumor by the fluorescence contrast. Specimens were taken for pathological examinations as the reference. There were no severe adverse events attributable to methylene blue. Of 20 patients, who did not receive preoperative chemotherapy, 16 exhibited fluorescent contrast on their resected tissues (signal-to-background ratio: 1.94 ± 0.71). In contrast, tumors were identified in 3 of 10 specimens from patients who underwent preoperative chemotherapy (signal-to-background ratio: 1.63 ± 0.38). A total of 35 tissues were sampled from 30 specimens. Besides 30 tumor samples, 5 more suspicious samples with fluorescence signal were confirmed to be benign hemorrhagic tissues. Therefore, a sensitivity of 0.63 and a positive predictive value of 0.79 were achieved by the methylene blue fluorescence imaging strategy. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of using methylene blue fluorescence imaging to identify breast cancer. Preoperative chemotherapy had an impact on imaging effect, which may reduce the detection rate. After all, methylene blue fluorescence imaging has great potential to be used into breast-conserving surgery for tumor-positive margins detection, but further clinical trial study is needed ( http://www.chictr.org.cn/ Clinical Trial Registry ID: ChiCTR1800015400, Near-infrared fluorescence imaging applied in breast cancer identification with methylene blue).
Insights Into Three Frames of Creative Minds: Igniting Perspective Transformation Among First-Year University Students
Authors: Lee Jae Hwa , Portillo Margaret , Meneely Jason
Published: December 2019

The lens of transformative learning provided a deeper understanding of students’ experiences and the process of learning within an interdisciplinary creativity course for first-year college students. Through the thematic analysis of 930 reflective narratives written by 93 students, the research identified how the overall course activities expanded and reframed their insights on creativity. Three frames of creative minds are presented to show the potential for transformations using students’ voices about impactful experiences: creative dynamics, transformation as a heightened awareness of the value of creativity to society and self; creative mindsets, transformation as a deeper understanding of diverse aspects of creativity; and creative confidence, transformation as a transfer in perspectives to real-world applications. In addition, the findings from this study proposed a framework to build creative confidence via educational strategies for creative learning.