bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stretch sensing properties of conductive knitted structures of PEDOT-coated viscose and polyester yarns
Authors: Bashir Tariq , Ali Majid , Persson Nils-Krister , Ramamoorthy Sunil Kumar , Skrifvars Mikael
Published: July 2013

Wearable textile-based stretch sensors for health-care monitoring allow physiological and medical evaluation without interfering in the daily routine of the patient. In our previous work, we successfully coated viscose and polyester (PES) fibers with the conjugated polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. In the present paper we report the possibility of producing a large quantity of PEDOT-coated conductive fibers with acceptable mechanical strength and frictional properties, so that knitted stretch sensors can be produced. In utilizing these knitted structures we have demonstrated the possibility of producing a textile-based monitoring device which is more readily integrated into wearable clothing than the previous metal-containing structures. The performance of viscose and PES knitted structures as stretch sensors has been investigated using a cyclic tester of our own design. For imitation of respiratory and joint movement, the variation in electrical properties of the knitted structures was examined at 5 to 50% elongation, and the performance of knitted viscose and PES structures was then compared on the basis of the cyclic testing results. In order to determine the effect of washing on PEDOT coatings and the knitted structures, two washing cycles were performed. After washing, the persistence of PEDOT coating on knitted structures was investigated using FT–IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. In the case of PES fiber, it was revealed that stretch sensing behavior persisted even after the washing cycles. These structures thus have the potential to be utilized in medical textiles for monitoring the physiological activities of patients, such as breathing rate and joint movement.
Wearable electronic design: electrothermal properties of conductive knitted fabrics
Authors: Li Li , Au Wai-man , Ding Feng , Hua Tao , Wong Kwok Shing
Published: July 2013

The static and dynamic behavior of a developed electrothermal fabric was studied using an electrothermal model that considers the following fabric parameters: thermal conductivity coefficient, specific heat capacitance, fabric mass, and initial temperature. An experiment was set up to measure the average temperature of the knitted fabric of ordinary materials, namely wool, cotton, and acrylic. These materials were knitted with silver-coated conductive yarns in three loop densities each at an applied electric power of 4 W. The calculated coefficient of determination is greater than 0.98, and the fit standard error is smaller than 1.11. Therefore, the analytical equation could accurately model the electrothermal characteristics of the thermal fabrics under an applied electric current and compute the temperature at a certain time for the same fabric using known parameters.
Flared textile cuff to be apposed on the proximal sealing zone in fenestrated stent-grafts
Authors: Wang Fujun , Li Chaojing , Wang Lu , Li Cong , Li Yuling , Lin Jing , Jing Zaiping , Douglas Graeham , Nutley Mark , Guidoin Robert
Published: July 2013

Current customized fenestrated devices require a fabrication delay of 4–6 weeks and therefore cannot be considered for the treatment of emergent or urgent aortic pathology. A flared textile cuff capable of better sealing the connection between a stent-graft fenestration and a branching stent-graft could bring more flexibility in treating patients with peri- and juxta-renal abdominal aortic aneurysms. Four different flared textile cuff prototypes were fabricated by compression molding of woven fabrics having structure similar to those of commercially available devices. Each cuff comprised a flat collar as a base, an arc as a curved section, and a top as a regular fabric tube. The fabric count, density, and thickness decreased from the first to the third sections and the results differed according to the structure. The physical and mechanical properties of these flared fabric cuffs were similar to those found in commercially available stent-grafts. The flared textile cuffs showed a scope of properties adapted for easier delivery and are acceptable to various sizes and shapes of fenestration. The development of flared textile cuffs represents a considerable advancement in endovascular therapy: (1) allowing a fenestrated solution to be readily available off-the-shelf; (2) providing an adequate seal of the ancillary stent-graft to the main body of the stent-graft.
Protective properties of warp-knitted spacer fabrics under impact in hemispherical form. Part II: effects of structural parameters and lamination
Authors: Liu Yanping , Hu Hong , Au Wai Man
Published: July 2013

This part aims to investigate the effects of structural parameters and lamination on the impact force attenuation properties of warp-knitted spacer fabrics developed for impact protectors. A series of warp-knitted spacer fabrics was produced on a double-needle bar Raschel machine by varying their structural parameters including spacer monofilament inclination and fineness, fabric thickness, and outer layer structure. The effects of fabric structural parameters, impact energy levels, and laminated layers on the protective performance of the spacer fabrics were tested and analyzed based on the assessment of the peak transmitted force. The results showed that all the structural parameters significantly affect the impact force attenuation properties of the warp-knitted spacer fabrics. It was also found that lamination of the spacer fabrics can effectively improve the force attenuation performance. Three layers of the developed warp-knitted spacer fabrics in a total thickness of about 2.5 cm can meet the requirement of the transmitted force lower than 35 kN at an impact energy of 50 J according to the European Standard BS EN 1621-1:1998.
The Impact of the Built Environment on Bicycle Commuting: Evidence from Beijing
Authors: Zhao Pengjun
Published: July 2013

This paper aims to contribute to existing literature on the effects of the built environment on bicycle commuting, examining the case of Beijing. A group of city-wide random samples is analysed. The analysis shows that bicycle commuting is significantly associated with some features of the built environment when many demographic and socioeconomic factors are taken into account. Higher destination accessibility, a higher number of exclusive bicycle lanes, a mixed environment and greater connectivity between local streets tend to increase the use of the bicycle. These effects differ across gender, age and income groups. However, residential density has no significant effects on the use of a bicycle for commuting, while higher levels of public transit services tends to decrease rather than increase bicycle commuting. The results imply that the drastic changes in the built environment are a major reason for the demise of ‘the kingdom of bicycles’ in China.
Values in Perspective
Authors: Brewer Brian , Leung Joan Y. H. , Scott Ian
Published: July 2013

In 1997, the results of an administrative ethics survey of senior Hong Kong public servants were reported in this journal. Using the same questionnaire in 2011, we assessed the ways in which values have changed in the intervening period. Despite major systemic reforms in the civil service, which has evolved from a classic Weberian to a neo-Weberian bureaucracy, organizational, rather than individual, values generally appear to have strengthened. The explanation seems to be that enhanced classical Weberian organizational values are not perceived to be incompatible with high standards of personal morality. Adherence to familiar Weberian bureaucratic principles also affords civil servants some protection in an environment in which their performance is increasingly subject to critical scrutiny by local politicians, the society, an ever-watchful media, and the Chinese government.
Preliminary Safety and Efficacy of L‐carnitine Infusion for the Treatment of Vasopressor‐Dependent Septic Shock
Authors: Puskarich Michael A. , Kline Jeffrey A. , Krabill Virginia , Claremont Heather , Jones Alan E.
Published: July 2013

Background: Sepsis is characterized by metabolic disturbances, and previous data suggest a relative carnitine deficiency may contribute to metabolic dysfunction. Studies regarding safety and patient‐centered efficacy of carnitine during septic shock are lacking. Methods: This was a double‐blind randomized control trial of levocarnitine (L‐carnitine) infusion vs normal saline for the treatment of vasopressor‐dependent septic shock. Patients meeting consensus definition for septic shock with a cumulative vasopressor index ≥3 and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score ≥5 enrolled within 16 hours of the recognition of septic shock were eligible. The primary safety outcome was difference in serious adverse events (SAEs) per patient between groups. Efficacy outcomes included proportion of patients demonstrating a decrease in SOFA score of 2 or more points at 24 hours and short‐ and long‐term survival. Results: Of the 31 patients enrolled, 16 were in the L‐carnitine and 15 were in the placebo arm. There was no difference in SAEs between placebo and intervention (2.1 vs 1.8 SAEs per patient, P = .44). There was no difference in the proportion of patients achieving a decrease in SOFA score of 2 or more points at 24 hours between placebo and treatment (53% vs 44%, P = .59). Mortality was significantly lower at 28 days in the L‐carnitine group (4/16 vs 9/15, P = .048), with a nonsignificant improved survival at 1 year (P = .06). Conclusion: L‐carnitine infusion appears safe in vasopressor‐dependent septic shock. Preliminary efficacy data suggest potential benefit of L‐carnitine treatment, and further testing is indicated.
Maximum Tolerated Osmolarity for Peripheral Administration of Parenteral Nutrition in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Dugan Shannon , Le Jennifer , Jew Rita K.
Published: July 2013

Background: Limited data support a recommended maximum osmolarity for administration of peripheral parenteral nutrition (PPN). In this retrospective, matched‐cohort study, we evaluated the incidence of phlebitis or infiltration associated with administration of PPN with an osmolarity >1000 mOsm/L vs ≤1000 mOsm/L. Materials and Methods: Patients ≤18 years old who received PPN in a 2‐year period were included in the study. Data related to patient demographics, PPN constituents, and adverse effects were analyzed. Results: A total of 352 patients met entry criteria. Overall, 139 (40%) patients experienced phlebitis or infiltration. There were no differences between patients who did or did not develop adverse events in terms of age or weight. Administration of PPN with osmolarity >1000 mOsm/L vs ≤1000 mOsm/L significantly increased infiltration (17% vs 7%; odds ratio [OR, 2.47]; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24–4.94; P = .01) and the combined composite end point of phlebitis or infiltration (45% vs 34%; OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.07–2.54; P = .02). In multivariate analysis, osmolarity >1000 mOsm/L vs ≤1000 mOsm/L was an independent risk factor for developing complications (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.08–2.52; P = .02). Conclusion: Two of every 5 children experienced phlebitis or infiltration during administration of PPN. These adverse effects were more often observed in those who received PPN with osmolarity >1000 mOsm/L vs ≤1000 mOsm/L. With this high incidence of adverse effects, we recommend that if PPN is used, the osmolarity should not exceed 1000 mOsm/L. More important, PPN should only be used temporarily until central access is obtained.
Experimental Validation of Displacement Underestimation in ARFI Ultrasound
Authors: Czernuszewicz Tomasz J. , Streeter Jason E. , Dayton Paul A. , Gallippi Caterina M.
Published: July 2013

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging is an elastography technique that uses ultrasonic pulses to displace and track tissue motion. Previous modeling studies have shown that ARFI displacements are susceptible to underestimation due to lateral and elevational shearing that occurs within the tracking resolution cell. In this study, optical tracking was utilized to experimentally measure the displacement underestimation achieved by acoustic tracking using a clinical ultrasound system. Three optically translucent phantoms of varying stiffness were created, embedded with subwavelength diameter microspheres, and ARFI excitation pulses with F/1.5 or F/3 lateral focal configurations were transmitted from a standard linear array to induce phantom motion. Displacements were tracked using confocal optical and acoustic methods. As predicted by earlier finite element method studies, significant acoustic displacement underestimation was observed for both excitation focal configurations; the maximum underestimation error was 35% of the optically measured displacement for the F/1.5 excitation pulse in the softest phantom. Using higher F/#, less tightly focused beams in the lateral dimension improved accuracy of displacements by approximately 10 percentage points. This work experimentally demonstrates limitations of ARFI implemented on a clinical scanner using a standard linear array and sets up a framework for future displacement tracking validation studies.
Gifted Education in Austria
Authors: Weyringer Sieglinde
Published: July 2013

In Austria, gifted education and the education of highly gifted and talented children have been receiving an increasing public awareness and social acceptance over the past decade. The article highlights the existing ideas of giftedness in Austria, and it presents several initiatives having triggered and influenced this positive development. The provision of special programs for gifted education is closely linked to the general structure of the Austrian school system. This established system and its inherent opportunities for talent support will be described. The information forms the background to understand why there is still a public controversial debate on the need of specific endeavors in gifted education.
How does political trust affect social trust? An analysis of survey data from rural China using an instrumental variables approach
Authors: Tao Ran , Yang Dali L. , Li Ming , Lu Xi
Published: July 2013

Using an instrumental variable approach, we analyze survey data to untangle the relationship between social and political trust in contemporary China. We find strong evidence that political trust enhances social trust in China and the results are robust to a range of measures, including the generalized social trust question, as well as three contextualized trust questions. We also shed light on the impact of economic modernization on social trust. Our findings contribute to the general literature on trust and provide a better understanding of the complicated relationship between political trust and social trust. They also offer insight into the dynamics of trust production and reproduction in China and thus into China’s socio-political development.
Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus and Its Impact on Disease Severity in Adult Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis
Authors: Lee Chia‐Jung , Allen Clint T. , Merati Albert L.
Published: July 2013

Objectives

Following human papilloma virus (HPV) infection, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) develops secondary to dysfunction of innate and adaptive immune responses. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common medical disorder; these patients are considered to be relatively immunocompromised. It is hypothesized that comorbid DM occurs more frequently than expected in a cohort of adult RRP patients and that RRP patients with DM have more severe disease than those without DM.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Tertiary care laryngology practice, 5‐year period.

Subjects and Methods

Adult‐onset RRP patients from 2007 to 2012 at the University of Washington were reviewed. The gender, age of onset of RRP, number of interventions, pathology, presence or absence of DM, and calculated anatomic Derkay severity score were recorded.

Results

Eighty‐four adult RRP patients were characterized; 64 male (76%) and 20 female (24%). Six of 84 patients (7.1%) had DM; this prevalence was not higher than an age‐matched general population. The number of interventions required for disease control did not significantly differ (P =. 13) between adult RRP patients with DM (avg 2.6/yr, median 2.3/year) and those without DM (avg 1.9/yr, median 1.3/yr). There was no significant difference in anatomic Derkay score at the time of intervention (P =. 26) or presence of dysplasia in biopsy specimens (P =. 49) between RRP patients with and without DM.

Conclusions

In this large series of adult RRP patients, DM does not appear to have a higher prevalence than that seen in age‐matched controls, nor do RRP patients with DM appear to have more severe disease.
‘Do (not) go to vote!’ Media provocation explained
Authors: Driessens Olivier
Published: July 2013

This article conceptualizes media provocation, a common but understudied practice of mediatized protest and resistance, marketing or (self-)promotion and awareness raising. It is defined as a mediated act that questions or contravenes norms, values, laws, rules and symbolic power, thereby intentionally running counter to the normal horizon of expectations in a certain situation or context. As such, media provocation can have a major impact on public debate, politics and the course of events. In this article, the key elements of media provocation are initially examined and subsequently illustrated by drawing on a case study on Stijn Meuris, a Belgian rock artist and television personality. In 2010, he announced his refusal to vote in the next elections, although it is mandatory in Belgium for all adults to vote. The findings of this case study demonstrate the contingency of the component ‘intentionality’ in the definition of media provocation.
Integrated motion planning and control for graceful balancing mobile robots
Authors: Nagarajan Umashankar , Kantor George , Hollis Ralph
Published: July 2013

This paper presents an integrated motion planning and control framework that enables balancing mobile robots to gracefully navigate human environments. A palette of controllers called motion policies is designed such that balancing mobile robots can achieve fast, graceful motions in small, collision-free domains of the position space. The domains determine the validity of a motion policy at any point in the robot’s position state space. An automatic instantiation procedure that generates a motion policy library by deploying motion policies from a palette on a map of the environment is presented. A gracefully prepares relationship that guarantees valid compositions of motion policies to produce overall graceful motion is introduced. A directed graph called the gracefully prepares graph is used to represent all valid compositions of motion policies in the motion policy library. The navigation tasks are achieved by planning in the space of these gracefully composable motion policies. In this work, Dijsktra’s algorithm is used to generate a single-goal optimal motion policy tree, and its variant is used to rapidly replan the optimal motion policy tree in the presence of dynamic obstacles. A hybrid controller is used as a supervisory controller to ensure successful execution of motion policies and also successful switching between them. The integrated motion planning and control framework presented in this paper was experimentally tested on the ballbot, a human-sized dynamically stable mobile robot that balances on a single ball. The results of successful experimental testing of two navigation tasks, namely, point-point and surveillance motions are presented. Additional experimental results that validate the framework’s capability to handle disturbances and rapidly replan in the presence of dynamic obstacles are also presented.
The Utility of the KJOC Score in Professional Baseball in the United States
Authors: Franz Justin O. , McCulloch Patrick C. , Kneip Chris J. , Noble Philip C. , Lintner David M.
Published: July 2013

Background:

The Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (KJOC) Shoulder and Elbow questionnaire has been shown by previous studies to be more sensitive than other validated subjective measurement tools in the detection of upper extremity dysfunction in overhead-throwing athletes.

Purpose:

The primary objective was to establish normative data for KJOC scores in professional baseball players in the United States. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the effect of player age, playing position, professional competition level, history of injury, history of surgery, and time point of administration on the KJOC score.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

From 2011 to 2012, a total of 203 major league and minor league baseball players within the Houston Astros professional baseball organization completed the KJOC questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered at 3 time points: spring training 2011, end of season 2011, and spring training 2012. The KJOC scores were analyzed for significant differences based on player age, injury history, surgery history, fielding position, competition level, self-reported playing status, and time point of KJOC administration.

Results:

The average KJOC score among healthy players with no history of injury was 97.1 for major league players and 96.8 for minor league players. The time point of administration did not significantly affect the final KJOC score ( P = .224), and KJOC outcomes did not vary with player age ( r = −0.012; P = .867). Significantly lower average KJOC scores were reported by players with a history of upper extremity injury (86.7; P < .001) and upper extremity surgery (75.4; P < .0001). The KJOC results did vary with playing position ( P = .0313), with the lowest average scores being reported by pitchers (90.9) and infielders (91.3).

Conclusion:

This study establishes a quantitative baseline for the future evaluation of professional baseball players with the KJOC score. Age and time of administration had no significant effect on the outcome of the KJOC score. Missed practices or games within the previous year because of injury were the most significant demographic predictors of lower KJOC scores. The KJOC score was shown to be a sensitive measurement tool for detecting subtle changes in the upper extremity performance of the professional baseball population studied.
Development of demand forecasting tool for natural resources recouping from municipal solid waste
Authors: Zaman Atiq Uz , Lehmann Steffen
Published: July 2013

Sustainable waste management requires an integrated planning and design strategy for reliable forecasting of waste generation, collection, recycling, treatment and disposal for the successful development of future residential precincts. The success of the future development and management of waste relies to a high extent on the accuracy of the prediction and on a comprehensive understanding of the overall waste management systems. This study defies the traditional concepts of waste, in which waste was considered as the last phase of production and services, by putting forward the new concept of waste as an intermediate phase of production and services. The study aims to develop a demand forecasting tool called ‘zero waste index’ (ZWI) for measuring the natural resources recouped from municipal solid waste. The ZWI (ZWI demand forecasting tool) quantifies the amount of virgin materials recovered from solid waste and subsequently reduces extraction of natural resources. In addition, the tool estimates the potential amount of energy, water and emissions avoided or saved by the improved waste management system. The ZWI is tested in a case study of waste management systems in two developed cities: Adelaide (Australia) and Stockholm (Sweden). The ZWI of waste management systems in Adelaide and Stockholm is 0.33 and 0.17 respectively. The study also enumerates per capita energy savings of 2.9 GJ and 2.83 GJ, greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 0.39 tonnes (CO2e) and 0.33 tonnes (CO2e), as well as water savings of 2.8 kL and 0.92 kL in Adelaide and Stockholm respectively.
The application of a multi-parameter analysis in choosing the location of a new solid waste landfill in Serbia
Authors: Milosevic Igor , Naunovic Zorana
Published: July 2013

This article presents a process of evaluation and selection of the most favourable location for a sanitary landfill facility from three alternative locations, by applying a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method. An incorrect choice of location for a landfill facility can have a significant negative economic and environmental impact, such as the pollution of air, ground and surface waters. The aim of this article is to present several improvements in the practical process of landfill site selection using the VIKOR MCDM compromise ranking method integrated with a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process approach for determining the evaluation criteria weighing coefficients. The VIKOR method focuses on ranking and selecting from a set of alternatives in the presence of conflicting and non-commensurable (different units) criteria, and on proposing a compromise solution that is closest to the ideal solution. The work shows that valuable site ranking lists can be obtained using the VIKOR method, which is a suitable choice when there is a large number of relevant input parameters.
Investigation of cadmium pollution in contaminated industrial area in Guilan province industrial estates
Authors: Hashemi Seyed Armin
Published: July 2013

Toxicity and accumulation of cadmium in body organs by eating contaminated food has an important role in endangering a human's health. Using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports, site 1, site 2 and site 3 were selected as polluted sites and site 4 was selected as the control site. Seedlings of buttonwood were prepared for 12 months then root, stem, and leaf samples were harvested and the amounts of cadmium element in stem and leaf organs together with the growth parameters were measured. This study determines the amount of cadmium accumulated in Platanus occidentalis. The respective cadmium concentrations in the root, leaf, and stem in site 1 were 382, 98, and 87; in site 2 they were 591, 122, and 94; and in site 3 they were 633, 151, and 104 mg/kg dry weight (DW). Furthermore, the comparison between accumulation and transfer of cadmium in the study showed more absorption of this metal by the root than that by the stem and leaf. The result of this research shows that buttonwood has the potential for cadmium accumulation without any serious damage to its growth. To control the extent of contamination in industrial areas, petrochemical industries, power plants and vast contaminated municipal areas, there is a great need for planting plants like buttonwood.
Effect of Exclusive Enteral Nutrition on Health‐Related Quality of Life for Adults With Active Crohn's Disease
Authors: Guo Zhen , Wu Rong , Zhu Weiming , Gong Jianfeng , Zhang Wei , Li Yi , Gu Lili , Li Ning , Li Jieshou
Published: July 2013

Background: Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) is an effective and safe remission induction treatment for Crohn's disease in adults. Its influence on adults’ health‐related quality of life remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of EEN on health‐related quality of life in adults with active Crohn's disease. Materials and Methods: Patients recruited were treated with a polymeric enteral feed that was taken orally in the daytime and via a self‐intubated nasogastric tube at night for 4 weeks. Prospective evaluation of disease activity (Crohn's Disease Activity Index, CDAI) and health‐related quality of life (Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire, IBDQ) were performed at enrollment and after 4 weeks of treatment. Patients’ feelings about EEN were also investigated through 2 questions. Results: Thirteen patients were treated with 4‐week EEN. They had a significant improvement in total IBDQ score (P < .001) and all IBDQ dimensions: bowel symptoms (P < .001), systemic symptoms (P < .001), social function (P = .003), and emotional status (P < .001), with 11 patients (84.6%) achieving clinical remission after treatment. In addition, 8 patients (61.5%) expressed their willingness to receive this 4‐week EEN treatment again to induce remission if the disease relapsed. The IBDQ correlated significantly with the CDAI at 4 weeks. Conclusions: A 4‐week treatment of EEN improves health‐related quality of life significantly in adults with active Crohn's disease and was acceptable by most patients.
The Effect of the Pressure–Volume Curve for Positive End-Expiratory Pressure Titration on Clinical Outcomes in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Authors: Hata J. Steven , Togashi Kei , Kumar Avinash B. , Hodges Linda D. , Kaiser Eric F. , Tessmann Paul B. , Faust Christopher A. , Sessler Daniel I.
Published: July 2013

Purpose

Methods to optimize positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) remain controversial despite decades of research. The pressure–volume curve (PVC), a graphical ventilator relationship, has been proposed for prescription of PEEP in ARDS. Whether the use of PVC’s improves survival remains unclear.

Methods

In this systematic review, we assessed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing PVC-guided treatment with conventional PEEP management on survival in ARDS based on the search of the National Library of Medicine from January 1, 1960, to January 1, 2010, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Three RCTs were identified with a total of 185 patients, 97 with PVC-guided treatment and 88 with conventional PEEP management.

Results

The PVC-guided PEEP was associated with an increased probability of 28-day or hospital survival (odds ratio [OR] 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5, 4.9) using a random-effects model without significant heterogeneity ( I2 test: P = .75). The PVC-guided ventilator support was associated with reduced cumulative risk of mortality (−0.24 (95% CI −0.38, −0.11). The PVC-managed patients received greater PEEP (standardized mean difference [SMD] 5.7 cm H2O, 95% CI 2.4, 9.0) and lower plateau pressures (SMD −1.2 cm H2O, 95% CI −2.2, −0.2), albeit with greater hypercapnia with increased arterial pCO2 (SMD 8 mm Hg, 95% CI 2, 14). Weight-adjusted tidal volumes were significantly lower in PVC-guided than conventional ventilator management (SMD 2.6 mL/kg, 95% CI −3.3, −2.0).

Conclusion

This analysis supports an association that ventilator management guided by the PVC for PEEP management may augment survival in ARDS. Nonetheless, only 3 randomized trials have addressed the question, and the total number of patients remains low. Further outcomes studies appear required for the validation of this methodology.
Norming or Transforming
Authors: Kovacs Pamela J. , Hutchison Elizabeth D. , Collins Kathryn S. , Linde Linnea B.
Published: July 2013

The past decade has seen growth in the international and interdisciplinary literature about competency-based education (CBE). With the passage of the Council on Social Work Education’s Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) in 2008, the U.S. social work education enterprise joined other professional groups in embracing CBE. This article analyzes the positions of both proponents and critics of CBE. It reviews the core competencies for social work identified in the EPAS and explores challenges and opportunities that CBE and the competencies present to feminist pedagogy. It concludes with a classroom exercise that is used to integrate feminist pedagogy and the core competencies.
The Gendered Experience of Family Estrangement in Later Life
Authors: Agllias Kylie
Published: July 2013

This qualitative study examined the experiences of 25 parents who were estranged from their adult children in later life. Most participants experienced estrangement as an unanticipated, unchosen, and chronic loss for which they felt ill prepared. Most described a traumatic loss, ambiguous because of its uncertainty and inconclusiveness, and disenfranchised by societal ideologies embedded in constructs of parenting and motherhood as essential, natural, and universal. Many participants said they were subjected to the social stigma associated with tainted or devalued parenthood. In many cases, the gendered stigma accompanying estrangement positioned the female participants precariously for social rejection.
“Lost Milk?”
Authors: Smith J. P.
Published: July 2013

Background:

The contribution of breastfeeding and mothers milk to the economy is invisible in economic statistics.

Objective:

This article demonstrates how the economic value of human milk production can be included in economic statistics such as gross domestic product (GDP) and provides estimates for Australia, the United States, and Norway.

Methods:

The contribution of human milk and lactation to GDP in these countries is estimated using United Nations (System of National Accounting) guidelines and conventional economic valuation approaches to measuring production in GDP.

Results:

In Australia, current human milk production levels exceed $3 billion annually. The United States has the potential to produce human milk worth more than US$110 billion a year, but currently nearly two thirds of this value is lost due to premature weaning. In Norway, production valued at US$907 million annually is 60% of its potential value.

Conclusions:

The potential loss of economic value from not protecting women’s lactation and milk production from competing market pressures is large. Failure to account for mothers’ milk production in GDP and other economic data has important consequences for public policy. The invisibility of human milk reduces the perceived importance of programs and regulations that protect and support women to breastfeed. The value of human milk can be measured using accepted international guidelines for calculating national income and production. It is quantitatively nontrivial and should be counted in GDP.
Neighborhood Context and Breastfeeding Behaviors among Urban Mothers
Authors: Burdette Amy M.
Published: July 2013

Background:

Research consistently shows that breastfeeding behaviors vary according to individual-level sociodemographic characteristics, yet few studies examine contextual variations in breastfeeding.

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between neighborhood context and breastfeeding among a sample of predominately unmarried urban mothers, a group with relatively low rates of breastfeeding.

Methods:

This study combines census tract information with data from 2 waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n = 4228) to predict the odds of initiating and sustaining breastfeeding.

Results:

Findings indicate that neighborhood socioeconomic composition, rather than racial or ethnic concentration, is associated with breastfeeding behaviors. More specifically, living in a highly educated neighborhood is associated with higher odds of initiating and sustaining breastfeeding.

Conclusion:

These results suggest that the breastfeeding behaviors of urban mothers vary according to neighborhood educational context. Understanding how breastfeeding behaviors are shaped by one’s neighborhood environment will allow public health initiatives to more effectively target vulnerable populations.
Getting Married, Breaking up, and Making Up for Lost Time
Authors: Montemurro Beth
Published: July 2013

Transitioning from single to married or married to divorced has notable effects on women’s sexuality. In some cases, transitions lead to greater sexual subjectivity by enhancing women’s sexual confidence and sense of entitlement to pleasure. In others, transitions inhibit women’s sexual agency and women feel disconnected from their sexual selves. In this paper, I explore how marriage and divorce function as turning points in women’s construction of sexuality. Based on in-depth interviews with seventy-one heterosexual women, I examine how they experience marriage, separation, and divorce and how their interactions with husbands inhibit or bolster their sexual self-confidence and understandings. My findings reveal that relationships and significant others had the greatest impact on women’s sexual subjectivity. Generation influenced whether or not marriage was a turning point in women’s sexuality and divorce sometimes led to increased sexual subjectivity. Furthermore, women who entered relationships with cumulative disadvantages because of previous negative sexual experiences defined relationship transitions as turning points in their sexuality.
Encountering the Familiar Unknown
Authors: Harris Anna
Published: July 2013

In their studies of doctors and hospitals, ethnographers have shown that medicine is practiced in local contexts. They have not, however, fully explored the processes involved when medical practitioners move between clinical settings. This article contributes to the study of medical work by looking at the adjustments international medical graduates must make to practice in Australian hospitals. These doctors are interesting to study ethnographically because, like many skilled migrants, they encounter workplaces similar, and simultaneously unfamiliar, to those they have known before. Drawing on the work of Merleau-Ponty, I develop the concept of “adjustment” as a movement between habit and the moment. My findings reveal how adjustment is both discursive and bodily, tied up with status and performance. Also, by focusing on the adjustments of migrant doctors, my study highlights the taken-for-granted aspects of medical practice and the environmentally situated nature of medical work.
Predictive Validity of Career Decision-Making Profiles Over Time Among Chinese College Students
Authors: Tian Lin , Guan Yanjun , Chen Sylvia Xiaohua , Levin Nimrod , Cai Zijun , Chen Pei , Zhu Chengfeng , Fu Ruchunyi , Wang Yang , Zhang Shu
Published: July 2013

Two studies were conducted to validate the Chinese version of the Career Decision-Making Profiles (CDMP) questionnaire, a multidimensional measure of the way individuals make career decisions. Results of Study 1 showed that after dropping 1 item from the original CDMP scale, the 11-factor structure was supported among Chinese college students ( N = 334). Results of Study 2 ( N =372) replicated this factor structure and revealed that the CDMP accounted for 25% and 32% of the variances in participants’ career decision-making efficacy and career decision-making difficulties, respectively, across a time lag of 2 months. Among the CDMP dimensions, comprehensive information gathering, analytic information processing, greater speed of making the final decision, internal locus of control, and less dependence on others were the most significant predictors of positive career-related outcomes. These findings carry implications for career decision-making research and counseling practices in different cultural groups.
Aligning and Reorienting the Passible Self: Maximus the Confessor’s Virtue Ethics
Authors: Blowers Paul M.
Published: July 2013

This essay seeks to abstract from the works of Maximus the Confessor (580–662) a ‘theory’ of virtue ethics that engages Maximus’s own categories and language while still developing conversation with contemporary virtue ethics. First is a reconstruction of the larger cosmological (and moral) ‘narrative’—the oikonomia Maximus sees embodied in sacred history—that frames his essentially teleological understanding of the formation of virtue in created beings. The second part of the essay explores Maximus’s doctrine of the moral self as a synthesis of ‘diachronic’ and ‘synchronic’ dimensions, and details three identifiable protocols by which moral agents cultivate the Christian virtues: first, the development of intellectual virtues such as prudence that serve clear vision ( theoria) of worthy moral ends; second, the appropriate ‘use’ of the passible faculties of desire and temper in alliance with reason; and third, the conditioning of the virtues within moral communities (monastery or church) characterized by relations of accountability, imitation, and the traditioning of moral wisdom.
Mechatronic approach towards surface quality improvement in rotary wood machining
Authors: Ogun Philips S , Jackson Michael R , Parkin Robert M
Published: July 2013

The primary causes of defects in planed timber surfaces have been identified to be cutting tool inaccuracy and forced vibration during the machining process. It is noted that the current mechanical methods used in the woodworking industry to improve surface finish quality have disadvantages that defeat their original attractiveness. This article describes a mechatronic approach used to compensate for cutting tool inaccuracy in wood planing via cutting tool trajectory modification. The approach is based on real-time measurement of the angular spindle position, coupled with periodic vertical displacements of the rotating spindle. A small-scale wood planing machine, which has an actively controlled spindle unit, has been designed for practical investigation of the technique. Experimental results show that the dynamic performance of wood planing machines, and hence the surface finish quality, can be improved via this approach.
Hybrid-type spatial mask–panel alignment system for manufacturing flat panel displays
Authors: Kwon SangJoo , Hwang Jaewoong
Published: July 2013

A hybrid-type three-dimensional visual alignment system is suggested, which is to align pattern mask and glass panel for manufacturing flat panel displays. In order to compensate for the spatial misalignments between mask and panel, a pair of decoupled positioning mechanisms are adopted, where the lower 4-PPR parallel kinematic machine provides 3-degree-of-freedom motions to the pattern mask like the current in-plane alignment systems, while the upper 4-RPS machine gives an independent 3-degree-of-freedom mobility to the glass panel along the directions excluded in the mask movement. Hence, the combinatorial motion of the two positioning mechanisms completes a spatial mask–panel alignment. In this article, two fundamental issues are solved for the operation of the hybrid alignment system. First, the inverse kinematic solutions for the hybrid parallel mechanisms are derived to determine the displacements of active joints for an arbitrary misalignment in the task space. Second, it is developed how to extract the spatial misalignment between mask and panel in real time in terms of three in-plane cameras and the focus value Gaussian model.
Combined effect of couple stresses and heat and mass transfer on peristaltic flow with slip conditions in a tube
Authors: Sobh Ayman M
Published: July 2013

In this article, the influence of heat and mass transfer on peristaltic transport of a couple stress fluid in a uniform tube with slip conditions on the wall is studied. The problem can model the blood flow in living creatures. Under long wavelength approximation and zero Reynolds number, exact solutions for the axial velocity component, pressure gradient, and both temperature and concentration fields are derived. The pressure rise is computed numerically and explained graphically. Moreover, effects of various physical parameters of the problem on temperature distribution, concentration field, and trapping are studied and discussed graphically.
Musculoskeletal shoulder models: A technical review and proposals for research foci
Authors: Prinold Joe AI , Masjedi Milad , Johnson Garth R , Bull Anthony MJ
Published: July 2013

Musculoskeletal shoulder models allow non-invasive prediction of parameters that cannot be measured, particularly the loading applied to morphological structures and neurological control. This insight improves treatment and avoidance of pathology and performance evaluation and optimisation. A lack of appropriate validation and knowledge of model parameters’ accuracy may cause reduced clinical success for these models. Instrumented implants have recently been used to validate musculoskeletal models, adding important information to the literature. This development along with increasing prevalence of shoulder models necessitates a fresh review of available models and their utility. The practical uses of models are described. Accuracy of model inputs, modelling techniques and model sensitivity is the main technical review undertaken. Collection and comparison of these parameters are vital to understanding disagreement between model outputs. Trends in shoulder modelling are highlighted: validation through instrumented prostheses, increasing openness and strictly constrained, optimised, measured kinematics. Future directions are recommended: validation through focus on model sub-sections, increased subject specificity with imaging techniques determining muscle and body segment parameters and through different scaling and kinematics optimisation approaches.
Three-dimensional reconstruction of subject-specific knee joint using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging image data fusions
Authors: Dong Yuefu , Mou Zhifang , Huang Zhenyu , Hu Guanghong , Dong Yinghai , Xu Qingrong
Published: July 2013

Three-dimensional reconstruction of human body from a living subject can be considered as the first step toward promoting virtual human project as a tool in clinical applications. This study proposes a detailed protocol for building subject-specific three-dimensional model of knee joint from a living subject. The computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging image data of knee joint were used to reconstruct knee structures, including bones, skin, muscles, cartilages, menisci, and ligaments. They were fused to assemble the complete three-dimensional knee joint. The procedure was repeated three times with respect to three different methods of reference landmarks. The accuracy of image fusion in accordance with different landmarks was evaluated and compared with each other. The complete three-dimensional knee joint, which included 21 knee structures, was accurately developed. The choice of external or anatomical landmarks was not crucial to improve image fusion accuracy for three-dimensional reconstruction. Further work needs to be done to explore the value of the reconstructed three-dimensional knee joint for its biomechanics and kinematics.
Professor Tyndale John Rendle-Short (1919–2010), British and Australian paediatrician: A life in two domains
Authors: Pearn John
Published: July 2013

Professor Tyndale John Rendle-Short (1919–2010), a British and Australian paediatrician, lived a professional life of considerable influence in two domains – academic paediatrics and fundamentalist theology. A Cambridge medical graduate (1943) and doctor-soldier, he was appointed as the Foundation Professor of Child Health at the University of Queensland (1961). In Australia, he was a pioneer in three paediatric developments (‘rooming-in’ for mothers in hospitals, autism research and cystic fibrosis). His A Synopsis of Children’s Diseases was published in six editions, was translated into three languages and was used as a standard paediatric textbook on four Continents. Distinct from this clinical domain, as a passionate anti-Darwinist his fundamentalist theology was that variously self-described as ‘theistic evolution’ (believing in ‘progressive Creationism’) and later that of ‘six-literal day young-earth Creation’. He established and was the Foundation Chairman of the Creation Science Foundation (UK) and was World Chairman of the US-based Creation Ministries International. This biography is a record of this perhaps paradoxical and unique life.