bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Methylisothiazolinone Contact Allergy Prevalence in Western Canada: Increased Detection With 2000 ppm Patch Test Allergen
Authors: Wilford Jessica E. , de Gannes Gillian C.
Published: January 2017

Background:

Contact allergy to methylisothiazolinone (MI) or to the combination of methylchloroisothiazolinone and MI (MCI/MI) is an important and increasing cause of allergic contact dermatitis, with prevalence rates higher than 10% in some centers.

Objectives:

The objective of this retrospective chart review is to provide a western Canadian perspective on whether the positive patch testing rate to MCI/MI or MI increased during the testing period of 2008 to 2015 and whether the addition of MI at 2000 ppm resulted in increased detection.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients who tested positive (n = 104) of 2177 total patients who were patch tested for MCI/MI or MI at a community dermatology clinic in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from January 2008 through April 2015.

Results:

One hundred and four patients had positive patch testing results for MCI/MI, MI, or both. Positive results increased over the study period, with the highest prevalence in 2015 at 9.41% for MCI/MI, 12.94% for MI, and 15.29% for either. When testing for MI at 2000 ppm was introduced in 2013, the initial positive patch testing prevalence was 6.6%, followed by 10.1% in 2014, and 12.9% in 2015.

Conclusions:

We demonstrate an increasing prevalence of MCI/MI and MI allergy between 2008 and 2015, with the highest prevalence of 15.29% in 2015 for MCI/MI and/or MI allergy. The addition of MI 2000 ppm greatly increased the positive patch testing yield for MI. Our results support the importance of continued efforts to monitor and regulate these preservatives.
DT MRI microstructural cortical lesion damage does not explain cognitive impairment in MS
Authors: Preziosa Paolo , Pagani Elisabetta , Morelli Maria E , Copetti Massimiliano , Martinelli Vittorio , Pirro Fiammetta , Falini Andrea , Comi Giancarlo , Filippi Massimo , Rocca Maria A
Published: January 2017

Objective:

We combined double inversion recovery (DIR) and diffusion tensor (DT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify the severity of cortical lesion (CL) microstructural tissue abnormalities in a large cohort of relapse-onset multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and its contribution to cognitive dysfunction.

Methods:

DIR, DT, dual-echo, and three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted scans were acquired from 149 MS patients and 40 controls. Cognitively impaired (CI) patients had ⩾2 abnormal neuropsychological tests. Diffusivity values in CLs, cortex, white matter (WM) lesions, and normal-appearing (NA) WM were assessed. Predictors of cognitive impairment were identified using a random forest analysis.

Results:

Compared to controls, MS patients had lower normalized brain volume (NBV), gray matter volume (GMV), WM volume, lower fractional anisotropy (FA), and higher mean diffusivity in cortex and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM). A total of 44 (29.5%) patients were CI. Compared to cognitively preserved (CP), CI patients had higher T2 WM lesion volume (LV), lower NBV and GMV, and more severe diffusivity abnormalities in WM lesions, cortex, and NAWM. CL measures did not differ between CI and CP patients. Cortex FA, age, disease duration, T2 WM LV, and GMV best predicted MS-related cognitive impairment (C-statistic = 0.88).

Conclusion:

“Diffuse” GM and NAWM damage and WM lesions, rather than intrinsic CL damage, contribute to cognitive impairment in MS.
Task preference, affective response, and engagement in L2 use in a US university context
Authors: Phung Linh
Published: January 2017

While learners’ engagement has been recognized as important for second language (L2) learning in task-based language teaching (TBLT), how engagement is manifest in learners’ L2 use during task performance and how tasks can be designed to facilitate better engagement have not received enough attention in the L2 research. This study investigates the relationship between learners’ expressed preferences for two communicative L2 tasks and their engagement in L2 use during task performance. Twenty-one learners of English as a second language (ESL) performed two distinct tasks and participated in an interview after finishing them. This article compares behavioral, cognitive, and social measures of learners’ engagement in L2 use while performing the task they preferred more and the task they preferred less as well as their expressed reasons for these preferences. The findings revealed a higher level of cognitive engagement in L2 use (i.e. greater negotiation of meaning and form) during the performance of the task they preferred more. The findings also revealed that the topic as well as opportunities to create ideas and address a genuine communicative need were the most important factors in determining learners’ expressed task preferences. Implications for task design include allowing learners to create content for the tasks they perform and choosing topics that are familiar, personally relevant, and emotionally engaging to learners.
Content familiarity, task repetition and Chinese EFL learners’ engagement in second language use
Authors: Qiu Xuyan , Lo Yuen Yi
Published: January 2017

Previous research has considered the effects of content familiarity and task repetition on second language (L2) performance, but few studies have looked at the effect of these factors on learners’ engagement in task performance. This study explores the influence of content familiarity and task repetition on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ engagement in oral performance. Sixty EFL learners performed four narrative tasks with two familiar and two unfamiliar topics. They also repeated the same tasks to the same audience. Their oral production was analysed with various measures of behavioural and cognitive engagement. Stimulated recalls were collected from twenty-one participants to capture their emotional engagement. The participants were behaviourally and cognitively more engaged in tasks with familiar topics as well as having a more positive affective response to them. Repeating the tasks, however, negatively influenced behavioural and cognitive engagement, although the participants felt more relaxed and confident. In addition, the participants were more motivated to repeat unfamiliar topics, although they demonstrated more noticeable declines in their frequency of self-repair (an indicator of cognitive engagement) for these topics. These results provided empirical evidence for the relationship between task design and implementation factors and L2 task engagement. Teachers might base repetition decisions partially on learners’ familiarity with the topic.
The lived experience of Huntington’s disease: A phenomenological perspective on genes, the body and the lived experience of a genetic disease
Authors: Hagen Niclas
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this article is to explore the intersections between genes, the body and the lived experience of a genetic disease. This article is based on empirical material from a study on how individuals affected by Huntington’s disease experience their everyday life. This study identified two themes that represent and capture the experience of the affected individuals. The themes are (1) noticing symptoms in everyday life and (2) neither health nor disease. The analysis of the empirical material was performed by employing a theoretical framework based on phenomenology. The findings of this study showed that the lived experiences among individuals affected by Huntington’s disease were both fluid and dynamic in their nature. Furthermore, the analysis of the empirical material suggests that this fluid and dynamic character can be linked to a dimension that revolves around the intersections between genetics and the body. Following phenomenologist Drew Leder’s outline of the divergence between the invisible and the visible features of the body, the analysis of the empirical material suggests that the mutated gene that causes Huntington’s disease can be seen as a phenomenological nullpoint. It is important that the healthcare system acknowledges and addresses the lived experiences that are discussed in this article, particularly, as the use of genetics and genetic testing becomes more widespread usage within medicine.
Mapping, measuring and monitoring achievement: Can a new evaluation framework help schools challenge inequalities?
Authors: McCluskey Gillean
Published: January 2017

While mainstream schools have seen an increasing focus on performance and attainment in recent years, this focus has often been resisted by special and alternative educational provision in the United Kingdom. However, concern is now growing about the low levels of achievement for children and young people educated outside mainstream schools. This article reports the findings of an evaluation which examined the work of one group of special school head teachers who set out to develop an alternative framework for mapping, tracking and evaluating achievement; one which would be recognisable to, but not limited by, the pressures on the mainstream. The findings suggest that, if adopted more widely, such a framework could contribute to the search for common ground and common understanding across different educational settings, with the potential to bring direct benefits to pupils but also to make a contribution to addressing under-achievement and educational inequalities more broadly.
Early warning- and track and trigger systems for newborn infants
Authors: Mortensen Nicolay , Augustsson Johan Henrik , Ulriksen Jorunn , Hinna Unni Tveit , Schmölzer Georg M , Solevåg Anne Lee
Published: January 2017

Tools for clinical assessment and escalation of observation and treatment are insufficiently established in the newborn population. We aimed to provide an overview over early warning- and track and trigger systems for newborn infants and performed a nonsystematic review based on a search in Medline and Cinahl until November 2015. Search terms included ‘infant, newborn’, ‘early warning score’, and ‘track and trigger’. Experts in the field were contacted for identification of unpublished systems. Outcome measures included reference values for physiological parameters including respiratory rate and heart rate, and ways of quantifying the extent of deviations from the reference. Only four neonatal early warning scores were published in full detail, and one system for infants with cardiac disease was considered as having a more general applicability. Temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, SpO2, capillary refill time, and level of consciousness were parameters commonly included, but the definition and quantification of ‘abnormal’ varied slightly. The available scoring systems were designed for term and near-term infants in postpartum wards, not neonatal intensive care units. In conclusion, there is a limited availability of neonatal early warning scores. Scoring systems for high-risk neonates in neonatal intensive care units and preterm infants were not identified.
Remembering socialist entertainment: Romanian television, gestures and intimacy
Authors: Bardan Alice
Published: January 2017

This essay tackles the question of why people enjoy the re-broadcasting of state socialist programmes, asking whether their desires are driven by nostalgia, manipulated by neocapitalist schemes that commodify the past as an audience-raising strategy or simply linked to a compulsive desire to revisit a ‘traumatic’ past. To do so, I first draw on existing literature on mediated nostalgia to examine some of the possible explanations for the continued popularity of socialist-era television in post-socialist Eastern Europe. Focusing on the Romanian context, I discuss audience memories of socialist TV and then zoom in on some of the most prevalent memories of socialist entertainment in this country: the New Year’s Eve comedy sketches and Pistruiatul, one of very few television series made in Romania during socialism. I argue that in order to understand the popularity of socialist-era reruns, we need to look both into how audiences remember these programmes and into how these programmes construct long-term affinities with the audience. To do so, I discuss two kinds of pleasures: first, the pleasure of recalling one’s ability to resist ideological messages and, second, the pleasure of re-watching familiar content and, through that, reliving the sense of intimate connection with television characters.
Synthesis and characterization of green composites: Focus on accelerated strength, ductility and durability
Authors: Sahu Vaishali , Srivastava Amit , Misra Anil K. , Sharma Anil K.
Published: January 2017

High strength green composite material has been developed by this project by addition of lime sludge in stabilized class F fly ash with commercial lime and gypsum. The green composite material was shown to have high UCS (unconfined compressive strength) and good California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values to provide sufficient factor of safety as required by the standard code of practice for use in road construction. The good strength is attributed to calcium carbonate in lime sludge, which reacts with pozzolanic products of lime–gypsum stabilized fly ash. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy have illustrated the interaction/reaction between lime sludge and fly ash and development of additional calcium aluminium oxide carbonate hydrate that has improved the strength of the green composite. The addition of 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3% (by weight) of short polypropylene (PP) fibre (30 mm size) in the mix has imparted ductility to reduce brittle behaviour. The UCS of 8.1 MPa was achieved with 0.3% fibre in the mix, which is well above the standard requirement. Moreover, durability tests were performed to determine long-term performance. Our overall findings have indicated that the new green composite developed would have good strength, ductility and durability, for construction of flexible pavements. Further research is needed on the long-term field performance for at least one monsoon period before the material can be used with confidence.
The Legal Aspects of Undercover Police Operations in England and Wales
Authors: Choo Andrew L.-T.
Published: January 2017

This paper analyses the judicial contribution to the English law relating to undercover police operations. The analysis is undertaken from the perspective of an academic lawyer specialising in criminal evidence and procedure. It is demonstrated that judicial attention has largely been focused on two issues: First, the extent to which the use of undercover police operations may lead to the exclusion of prosecution evidence, or even to a complete stay of the proceedings; and, secondly, the extent to which sensitive information about undercover operations may justifiably be withheld from the defence. In examining these issues, the paper endeavours to show that there has been a tendency on the part of the English courts to advocate the use of ‘balancing tests' to resolve issues, without articulating clearly the considerations to be taken into account in performing these tests. An examination is also undertaken of the legal position in the USA and Canada and of the significance of the Human Rights Act 1998. A number of proposals for reform of the law are made.

The paper was originally presented at a conference on ‘Developments in Contemporary Policing: Intelligence-led Operations and Inter-agency Co-operation’, University of Kent at Canterbury, 18th April, 1997.
The Legacy of the Stoke Newington Scandal
Authors: Smith Graham
Published: January 2017

The Metropolitan Police Service's Operation Jackpot corruption investigation into allegations against Stoke Newington officers attracted widespread media attention throughout 1992, and disappeared without trace some two years later. Yet events at the beleagured station have had a more lasting effect on police administration. The law on evidence relevant to the credit of police officers in criminal proceedings was developed in R v Maxine Edwards. And payment of vast sums of money by the Commissioner to those who sued for damages after arrest by Stoke Newington officers has contributed to the law of civil actions against the police.
A touchdown bearing with surface waviness: A dynamic model using a multibody approach
Authors: Halminen Oskari , Aceituno Javier F , Escalona José L , Sopanen Jussi , Mikkola Aki
Published: January 2017

The amount of vibration induced by surface waviness in a touchdown bearing can be modelled with a multibody approach. This study develops a multibody model that accounts for surface waviness in races of touchdown bearings and employs the model to define the dissimilarities of the rotor and inner ring movements, and to perform inner ring velocity analysis in the frequency domain. Model results are compared with measured and simulated outcomes in the literature. Large movements are found in the orbits and velocities in the frequency domain due to surface waviness. Inner race eccentricity and ellipticity seem to be the cause of the most damaging surface waviness. In the frequency domain, all the significant peaks were noticed to be multiplications of rotor pendulum frequency, and the frequency of the inner ring was traceable in cases with waviness in the bearing. The model proposed in this study enables waviness to be taken into account in design of touchdown bearings.
Modeling combustion under engine combustion network Spray A conditions with multiple injections using the transported probability density function method
Authors: Bolla Michele , Chishty Muhammad Aqib , Hawkes Evatt R , Kook Sanghoon
Published: January 2017

In this study, numerical simulations of an n-dodecane spray flame—known as Spray A—with multiple injections (0.5 ms injection/0.5 ms dwell/0.5 ms injection) have been carried out using the transported probability density function method in the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes framework. In terms of the methodology employed, the transported probability density function method can handle the multiple-injections case without any modification because the model does not assume that thermodynamical states lie on a low-dimensional manifold such as the mixture fraction manifold, as is the case for many other turbulent combustion models, for example, the representative interactive flamelet model and the conditional moment closure model. Simulation results have been compared with recent experimental data in terms of inert and reactive jet tip penetration and vapor boundary (from schlieren imaging), ignition delay and flame base location of the first and second fuel injection, spatial distribution of formaldehyde (CH2O) and polyaromatic hydrocarbon (from 355-nm planar-laser-induced fluorescence). Particular attention has been paid to the ignition behavior of the second fuel injection. The timing and progression of the first- and second-stage ignition events are qualitatively well reproduced by the model. Simulation results have been further analyzed to assess the validity of the beta-function as the presumed shape of the mixture fraction probability density function, which is typically employed in mixture fraction–based models. The beta-function probability density function was found to provide a good approximation throughout the jet region apart from a brief period of around 100 µs when the second fuel stream encounters the pre-existing fuel–air mixture from the first fuel injection. Overall, it is shown that the transported probability density function model is able to capture the main features related to auto-ignition involved with multiple injections, and simulation results can be used to assess some of the underlying assumptions invoked by other models.
Blood Pressure Control: Stroke and Stroke Prevention
Authors: Diener Hans-Christoph
Published: January 2017

Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor for primary and secondary stroke prevention.

All antihypertensive drugs are effective in primary prevention: the risk reduction for stroke is 30—42%. However, not all classes of drugs have the same effects: there is some indication that angiotensin receptor blockers may be superior to other classes of antihypertensive drugs in stroke prevention.

Seventy-five percent of patients who present to hospital with acute stroke have elevated blood pressure within the first 24—48 hours. Extremes of systolic blood pressure (SBP) increase the risk of death or dependency. The aim of treatment should be to achieve and maintain the SBP in the range 140—160 mmHg. However, fast and drastic blood pressure lowering can have adverse consequences.

The PROGRESS trial of secondary prevention with perindopril + indapamide versus placebo + placebo showed a decrease in numbers of stroke recurrences in patients given both active antihypertensive agents, more impressive for cerebral haemorrhage.There were also indications that active treatment might decrease the development of post-stroke dementia.
Exploring the impact of dementia-friendly ward environments on the provision of care: A qualitative thematic analysis
Authors: Brooke Joanne , Semlyen Joanna
Published: January 2017

Dementia-friendly wards are recent developments to improve care for patients with dementia in acute hospitals. This qualitative study used focus groups to understand the impact of dementia friendly ward environments on nurses experiences of caring for acutely unwell patients with dementia. Qualified nurses and health care assistants working in an acute NHS Trust in England discussed their perceptions and experiences of working in a dementia-friendly ward environment. Four themes developed from the thematic analysis: (1) ‘It doesn’t look like a hospital’: A changed environment, (2) ‘More options to provide person-centred care’: No one size fits all, (3) ‘Before you could not see the patients’: A constant nurse presence and (4) ‘The ward remains the same’: Resistance to change. Recommendations and implementations for practice are discussed.
Great expectations. An analysis of child protection cases concerning immigrant children in Italy as a discursive practice
Authors: Dovigo Fabio
Published: January 2017

The paper aims to highlight the role and impact of written documents in managing child protection cases concerning immigrant children and their families in Italy. Analyzing documentation through the lens offered by Foucault’s notion of writing as a discursive rite oriented toward the reproduction of social norms, we examined, in depth, eight immigrant children’s cases that were handled by welfare services. Reports from practitioners such as social workers, youth workers, psychologists, counsellors, and legal advisors were examined to understand how the piling up of documentation, which is supposed to be neutral and unbiased, concurs to continuously redefine the boundaries between cultural inclusion and exclusion and reassert the common definition of normality. Moreover, we offer suggestions for how developing a reflexive attitude toward the use of documents could help practitioners to promote a more culturally sensitive approach to managing child protection.
Enhanced oxidation of MgSO3 during desulfurization by a novel spray method in magnesium-based seawater exhaust gas clean system
Authors: Liu Quan , Sun Meijun , Zhang Tianliang , Zhu Yimin
Published: January 2017

The magnesium-based seawater exhaust gas clean system is effective in reducing sulfur dioxide emission from marine diesel engines. Oxidation of the desulfurization by-product, magnesium sulfite (MgSO3), is required for recycling. However, the oxidation efficiency is generally low in the aeration tank after the desulfurization process, making the tank volume too large for practical use on ocean vessels. In this article, we propose a novel spray oxidation method to enhance the oxidation of MgSO3 during the desulfurization process. The effects of MgSO3 content, pH and temperature on the oxidation rate were investigated. The results showed that the spray oxidation rate of MgSO3 was 1.5 order with respect to the MgSO3 concentration under both unsaturated and saturated conditions of MgSO3 solution, which is different from the aeration oxidation researches. The spray oxidation rate decreased with the increase in pH and raised slowly as the temperature increased. The MgSO3 oxidation mechanism of the spray oxidation method was analyzed and discussed in comparison with the traditional bubble aeration method. The novel spray oxidation method is effective in reducing the cost of the subsequent MgSO3 aeration oxidation process and the offprint of aeration tanks, thus is promising to be applied on ocean vessels.
From ‘having the will’ to ‘knowing the way’: Incremental transformation for poverty alleviation among rural women in Bangladesh
Authors: Seferiadis Anastasia A , Cummings Sarah , Maas Jeroen , Bunders Joske GF , Zweekhorst Marjolein BM
Published: January 2017

Short-term, linear, externally funded, project-based approaches to complex problems like women's poverty in rural Bangladesh are often unsuccessful. Taking a different approach, this paper documents a transdisciplinary action-research methodology that led to sustainable poverty alleviation for rural Bangladeshi women, gradual changes in gender relations at the household and community level and strengthened women's capabilities while simultaneously developing an approach to social entrepreneurship. Defining characteristics of this research process were clear articulation of objectives in which poverty alleviation always received priority, learning cycles in which women were the central actors of the research-action process, and fluid and changing leadership among different stakeholders at different stages in the process. The project demonstrates the strength of action-research in addressing complex challenges, such as poverty alleviation and unequal gender relations. Key lessons for development practice include the need for interventions that take place over a longer time-frame and for a vision of development that is not transformational but comprising small incremental, locally embedded changes and which recognises the role of social capital.
How Activism Features in the Career Lives of Four Generations of Canadian Nurses
Authors: MacDonnell Judith A. , Buck-McFadyen Ellen
Published: January 2017

Recent nursing research using a critical feminist lens challenges the prevailing view of political inertia in nursing. This comparative life history study using a critical feminist lens explores the relevance of activism with four generations of Canadian nurses. Purposeful sampling of Ontario nurses resulted in 40 participants who were diverse in terms of generation, practice setting, and activist practice. Interviews and focus groups were completed with the sample of Ontario registered nurses or undergraduate and graduate nursing students: 8 Generation X, 9 Generation Y (Millennials), 20 Boomers, and 3 Overboomers. Factors such as professional norms and personal and organizational supports shaped contradictory nursing activist identities, practices, and impacts. Gendered norms, organizational dynamics, and the political landscape influenced the meanings nurses attributed to critical incidents and influences that prompted activism inside and outside the workplace, shaping the transformative potential of nursing. Despite its limitations, the study has implications for creating professional and organizational supports for consideration of health politics and policy, and spaces for dialogue to support practice and research aligned with social justice goals.
Concurrent Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Prolonged Exposure Reduces Symptoms and Improves Overall Quality of Life for a Veteran With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder
Authors: Scheiderer Emily , Carlile Jessica A. , Aosved Allison C. , Barlow Alycia
Published: January 2017

This article presents a case study illustration of integrated, concurrent dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and prolonged exposure (PE), conducted within a Veterans Affairs health care system. Treatment in this case effectively reduced symptoms and improved overall quality of life. Based on clinical complexities encountered (e.g., substance use, nonsuicidal self-harm, treatment setting constraints), recommendations are provided for concurrent treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder in veterans. Recommendations include consideration of flexibility in duration of pre-PE stabilization, modification of DBT phone coaching protocol, management of structural barriers to treatment access, full use of consultation, and coordination of clinician roles.
A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial of Fruit and Vegetable Concentrates on Intermediate Biomarkers in Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Datta Mridul , Shaw Edward G. , Lesser Glenn J. , Case L. Douglas , Vitolins Mara Z. , Schneider Charles , Frizzell Bart , Sullivan Christopher , Lively Mark , Franzmann Elizabeth , Hu Jennifer J.
Published: January 2017

Background. Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients are at an increased risk for developing second primary tumors (SPTs). Diets rich in fruits and vegetables (FVs) may lower HNC risk. FV concentrates may offer a potential alternative to increasing FV intake. Methods. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate whether Juice PLUS+ (JP; a commercial product with multiple FV concentrates) has an effect on p27 and Ki-67, biomarkers associated with the risk of SPTs. During 2004-2008, we randomized 134 HNC patients to 12 weeks of JP (n = 72) or placebo (n = 62). Oral cavity mucosal biopsies and whole blood were obtained at baseline and after 12 weeks. All participants were given the opportunity to receive JP for 5 years following the end of the intervention period, and they were followed yearly for the development of SPTs. Results. After 12 weeks, patients on JP had significantly higher serum α-carotene ( P = .009), β-carotene ( P < .0001), and lutein ( P = .003) but did not differ significantly in p27 ( P = .23) or Ki-67 ( P = .95). JP use following the initial 12-week trial was not significantly associated with SPT prevention. Conclusions. Despite increased serum micronutrient levels, our results do not suggest a clinical benefit of JP in HNC patients. Future studies should focus on longer intervention periods and/or modified supplement formulations with demonstrated chemopreventive properties.
Emerging technologies for long-term antimicrobial device coatings: advantages and limitations
Authors: Cyphert Erika L , von Recum Horst A
Published: January 2017

Over the past 20 years, the field of antimicrobial medical device coatings has expanded nearly 30-fold with technologies shifting their focus from diffusion-only based (short-term antimicrobial eluting) coatings to long-term antimicrobial eluting and intrinsically antimicrobial functioning materials. A variety of emergent coatings have been developed with the goal of achieving long-term antimicrobial activity in order to mitigate the risk of implanted device failure. Specifically, the coatings can be grouped into two categories: those that use antibiotics in conjunction with a polymer coating and those that rely on the intrinsic properties of the material to kill or repel bacteria that come into contact with the surface. This review covers both long-term drug-eluting and non-eluting coatings and evaluates the inherent advantages and disadvantages of each type while providing an overview of variety applications that the coatings have been utilized in.

Impact statement

This work provides an overview, with advantages and limitations of the most recently developed antibacterial coating technologies, enabling other researchers in the field to more easily determine which technology is most advantageous for them to further develop and pursue.
Anchor Balloon Technique
Authors: Shibuya Kei , Koike Norimasa , Mohara Jun , Takahashi Toru , Tsushima Yoshito
Published: January 2017

Occlusion of an internal iliac artery or its branches is sometimes required prior to abdominal endovascular aneurysm repair. The Amplatzer vascular plug (AVP) is a useful device for this purpose, but it requires a large lumen catheter or guiding sheath to place it in the intended artery. We propose an anchor balloon technique for advancing this guiding sheath/catheter through a tortuous or angulated iliac artery for AVP placement.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Occupation-Centered Intervention Assessment
Authors: Jewell Vanessa , Pickens Noralyn
Published: January 2017

A challenge of intervention research is the lack of a means to identify and measure clinical practice from an occupation-centered approach. The objective of this study is to establish basic psychometric properties of the Occupation-Centered Intervention Assessment (OCIA). The study is approached by establishing content validity and utility through expert panel and two focus groups. Interrater reliability (IRR) was determined through standardized video analysis and Krippendorff’s alpha. Results from the expert panel and focus groups indicated an overall agreement that the OCIA was able to capture the full range of elements of rehabilitation-focused interventions for older adults (occupational, contextual, and personal relevance) and a good fit with the occupational therapy intervention process model. IRR found adequate level of agreement (α = .76). The OCIA has demonstrated initial basic psychometrics for observation of rehabilitation-focused interventions with older adults.
Reflective Role-Playing in the Development of Dialogic Skill
Authors: Hersted Lone
Published: January 2017

Whether an organization prospers depends importantly on the relationships among its participants, and central to the success of relationships is the process of dialogue. This article describes an action-based educational practice for enhancing dialogical and relational skills among members of an organization. The effort draws on concepts of participatory research, collaborative learning, and dramatic acting. Specifically, the practice combines collaborative role-playing, polyphonic reflection, goal articulation, and facilitator cooperation to achieve educational ends. The project was carried out together with approximately 60 organizational members over a period of 18 months. Results suggest that this combination of practices enhanced dialogic, relational, and reflective skills among leaders and employees of the organization. Among the various results, particular attention is here paid to the outcomes of reflective role-playing for acquiring bodily awareness, changing and expanding perspectives, developing critical self-reflection, and enhancing relational consciousness.
Effects of Tongue Force Training on Bulbar Motor Function in the Female SOD1-G93A Rat Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Ma Delin , Shuler Jeffrey M. , Kumar Aishwarya , Stanford Quincy R. , Tungtur Sudheer , Nishimune Hiroshi , Stanford John A.
Published: January 2017

Background. The use of exercise in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is controversial. Although moderate exercise appears to be beneficial for limb muscles in ALS, the effects of exercise on bulbar muscles such as the tongue have not been studied. Objective. To determine the effects of tongue force training on bulbar motor function in the SOD1-G93A rat model of ALS. Methods. We compared the effects of tongue force training on bulbar motor function and neuromuscular junction innervation in female SOD1-G93A rats and age-matched female wild-type controls. Half of each group underwent afternoon tongue force training sessions, and all rats were tested under minimal force conditions in the mornings. Results. Tongue force did not differ between the SOD1-G93A rats and healthy controls during the morning testing sessions, nor was it affected by training. Surprisingly, decreases in tongue motility, the number of licks per session, and body weight were greater in the tongue force–trained SOD1-G93A rats. Forelimb grip force, survival, and denervation of the genioglossus (GG) muscle did not differ between the trained and untrained SOD1-G93A rats. GG innervation was correlated with changes in tongue force but not tongue motility in SOD1-G93A rats at end stage. Conclusions. The results indicate a potential deleterious effect of tongue force training on tongue motility in female SOD1-G93A rats. The lack of a relationship between GG innervation and tongue motility suggests that factors other than lower–motor neuron integrity likely accounted for this effect.
Open Access Platforms in Spinal Cord Injury: Existing Clinical Trial Data to Predict and Improve Outcomes
Authors: Kramer John L. K. , Geisler Fred , Ramer Leanne , Plunet Ward , Cragg Jacquelyn J.
Published: January 2017

Recovery from acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is characterized by extensive heterogeneity, resulting in uncertain prognosis. Reliable prediction of recovery in the acute phase benefits patients and their families directly, as well as improves the likelihood of detecting efficacy in clinical trials. This issue of heterogeneity is not unique to SCI. In fields such as traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, one approach to understand variability in recovery has been to make clinical trial data widely available to the greater research community. We contend that the SCI community should adopt a similar approach in providing open access clinical trial data.
An inside look into the complexity of box-office revenue prediction in China
Authors: Xiao Jia , Li Xin , Chen Shanzhi , Zhao Xuhui , Xu Meng
Published: January 2017

In this article, we discuss various elements contributing to exerting influence on box office in China, which are divided into internal and external factors. Since these factors could merely be quantified by online data sources partially or inaccurately, we propose that relativity analysis is more reasonable than precise revenue prediction. Trailer is selected as the combination of movie content and online behavior prior to releasing. Indexes from seven mainstream video websites are retrieved by the designed big data system which is integrated with the Internet of things technology. Correlation coefficients of different time periods are calculated. We apply multiple linear regression with stepwise method in modeling and prove that watching counts of 1 week before releasing on Youku is the barometer of market performance, especially the first week revenues. We also manifest the power of influential users through constructing Sina Weibo acquisition and analysis system.
Received signal strength–based localization for large space indoor environments
Authors: Wang Xingwang , Wei Xiaohui , Liu Yuanyuan , Gao Shang
Published: January 2017

WiFi-based indoor localization has attracted recent research attention. Large space layout is a special and more complex indoor environment. Most existing indoor localization methods lead to poor accuracy and many of them are not suitable for large space environments. In this article, we propose a novel approach for indoor localization and navigation. In our approach, the expensive training is avoided by utilizing the concept of pre-scheduled path and automatically mapping the WiFi fingerprints to it. For online tracing, we utilize historical sensor data to delineate users’ trajectory and calculate the similarity to all possible paths on the map, then the system chooses the most similar one as the result. The proposed work is evaluated and compared with previous methods. The results show that our approach improves accuracy by 80%.
Virtualized Violence and Anonymous Juries: Unpacking Steubenville’s “Big Red” Sexual Assault Case and the Role of Social Media
Authors: Fairbairn Jordan , Spencer Dale
Published: January 2017

In this article, we analyze a 2012 sexual assault case from Steubenville, Ohio, and the hacktivist “Anonymous” group response to the sexual assault. Drawing on Paul Virilio’s discussion of dromoscopy and concept of virtualization, we demonstrate the speed at which a “local” sexual assault can be exposed and go viral and how broader publics can be interpellated as bystanders in such cases. We show how emerging forms of online activism are exposing and contesting these new forms of violence against women and consider their potential to erode criminal justice blockages to justice for survivors of sexual violence.
Jailed double-microcatheter technique following horizontal stenting for coil embolization of intracranial wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms: A technical report of two cases
Authors: Kitahara Takahiro , Hatano Taketo , Hayase Makoto , Hattori Etsuko , Miyakoshi Akinori , Nakamura Takehiko
Published: January 2017

The horizontal stenting technique facilitates endovascular treatment of wide-necked bifurcation intracranial aneurysms. Previous literature shows, however, that subsequent coil embolization at initial treatment results in incomplete obliteration in many cases. The authors present two consecutive cases of wide-necked large bifurcation aneurysms to describe an additional coil embolization technique following horizontal stenting. The patients were a 53-year-old female with an unruptured internal carotid artery terminus aneurysm and a 57-year-old female with a recurrent basilar artery tip aneurysm. Both patients underwent endovascular treatment with horizontal stenting followed by coil embolization with jailed double-microcatheters. Immediate complete obliteration was achieved with no complications, and no recanalization was observed at the one-year follow-up in both cases. Coil embolization with jailed double-microcatheter technique following horizontal stenting is a safe and effective strategy for wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms.
Prone versus Supine Position during Surgery for Supracondylar Humeral Fractures
Authors: Guler Olcay , Mutlu Serhat , Isyar Mehmet , Mutlu Harun , Cerci Halis , Mahirogullari Mahir
Published: January 2017

Purpose

To compare the supine versus prone position in closed reduction and percutaneous pinning for supracondylar humeral fractures in children in terms of patient characteristics and outcome.

Methods

Records of 25 girls and 31 boys aged 4 to 9 (mean, 6.7) years who underwent closed reduction and percutaneous pinning in the prone (n=27) or supine (n=29) position each by one experienced surgeon for supracondylar extension type-3 humeral fractures were reviewed.

Results

The prone and supine groups were comparable in terms of patient characteristics and outcome, except that anaesthesia duration was shorter in surgery performed in the supine position (46.7 vs. 37.2 minutes, p<0.001).

Conclusion

In surgery for supracondylar humeral fractures in children, patient position affected only the duration of anaesthesia.
Alignment and Component Position after Patient-Matched Instrumentation versus Conventional Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Pourgiezis Nick , Reddy Sunil P , Nankivell Mark , Morrison Gordon , VanEssen John
Published: January 2017

Purpose

To compare patient-matched instrumentation (PMI) with conventional total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in terms of limb alignment and component position.

Methods

Nine men and 36 women (mean age, 69.5 years) who underwent PMI TKA were compared with 20 men and 25 women (mean age, 69.3 years) who underwent conventional TKA by the same team of surgeons with the same prosthesis and protocols in terms of limb alignment and component position using the Perth protocol computed tomography, as well as bone resection measurements, operating time, and the number of trays used.

Results

The PMI and conventional TKA groups were comparable in terms of age, body mass index, tourniquet time, operating time, and the number of trays used. For limb alignment and component position, the 2 groups differed significantly in sagittal femoral component position (2.4° vs. 0.9°, p=0.0008) and the percentage of knees with femoral component internally rotated ≥1° with respect to the transepicondylar axis (20% vs. 55%, p=0.001). The difference was not significant in terms of limb alignment, coronal and rotational femoral component position, or coronal and sagittal tibial component position. Intra-operatively, all patient-matched cutting blocks demonstrated acceptable fit and stability. No instrument-related adverse events or complications were encountered. One (2.2%) femur and 6 (13.3%) tibiae were recut 2 mm for optimal ligament balancing. Two femoral components were upsized to the next size, and 2 tibial components were upsized and 2 downsized to the next size.

Conclusion

PMI was as accurate as conventional instrumentation in TKA. There was no significant difference in limb alignment or femoral and tibial component position in the coronal and sagittal planes between PMI and conventional TKA. PMI had a higher tendency to achieve correct femoral component rotation.
Topical Tranexamic Acid versus Autotransfusion after Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Guzel Yunus , Gurcan Osman T , Golge Umut H , Dulgeroglu Turan C , Metineren Hasan
Published: January 2017

Purpose

To compare the use of topical tranexamic acid (TXA) with postoperative autologous transfusion (PAT) in terms of blood loss, need for allogeneic blood transfusion, and cost-effectiveness.

Methods

Records of 25 men and 125 women (mean age, 67 years) who underwent primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and were randomised to the PAT group (n=50), topical TXA group (n=50), or routine drainage group (control) [n=50] were reviewed. Pre- and post-operative haemoglobin level, total postoperative drainage volume, and the need for allogeneic blood transfusion were recorded.

Results

The 3 groups were comparable in terms of age, gender, and preoperative haemoglobin level. The total postoperative drainage volume was lower in the TXA group than the PAT or routine drainage groups (174.48 vs. 735 vs. 760 ml, p<0.001). The postoperative haemoglobin level was lower in the routine drainage group than the PAT or TXA groups on day 1 (11.67 vs. 12.33 vs. 12.40 g/dl, p<0.001) and day 3 (9.9 vs. 10.7 vs. 11.14 g/dl, p<0.001). The number of patients who received allogeneic blood transfusion was higher in the routine drainage group (12 and 4 patients received 1 and 2 units of blood, respectively) than the PAT group (4 patients received 1 unit of blood) or the TXA group (none required transfusion) [p<0.001], and the respective total transfusion cost was $1200, $240, and $0. The total cost was lowest in the TXA group followed by the routine drainage group and PAT group ($200 vs. $1200 vs. $12 390). No patient developed acute infection, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, or stroke.

Conclusion

Compared with PAT, topical TXA was more cost-effective and resulted in less total postoperative drainage volume and less need for allogeneic blood transfusion.
A Weighted Scoring System to Differentiate Malignant Liposarcomas from Benign Lipomas
Authors: Wang Shiyao , Chan Lester Wai Mon , Tang Xiaodong , Su Chang , Zhang Chunfang , Sun Kunkun , Shen Danhua , Chen Hao , Guo Wei
Published: January 2017

Purpose

To construct a scoring system to differentiate malignant liposarcomas from benign lipomas by comparing their clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features.

Methods

Clinical and MRI features of 33 women and 33 men aged 17 to 83 (mean, 53) years who underwent resection of malignant liposarcomas (n=32) or benign lipomas (n=34) were reviewed.

Results

The 5 strongest predictors of liposarcoma were male gender, larger tumour maximum dimension, deep to fascia, thick non-fatty septum or nodule, and internal cystic change. A weighted scoring system was constructed using the 5 strongest predictors as: Z score=10X1+X2+12X3+15X4+10X5, respectively. A cut-off score of 35 was used; all 32 malignant liposarcomas and 4 of 34 benign lipomas scored >35. The cut-off score of ≤35 could predict 30 of 66 lipomatous tumours as benign with a negative predictive value of 100% (p<0.0001).

Conclusion

The 5 strongest clinical and MRI features were identified to construct a scoring system to differentiate malignant from benign lipomatous tumours. Further validation in independent populations is required.