bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical analysis of percutaneous computed tomography–guided injection of cyanoacrylate for localization of 115 small pulmonary lesions in 113 asymptomatic patients
Authors: Huang Bing-Yang , Zhou Jun-Jun , Song Xiao-Yong , Wu Ji-Hua , Zheng Dong , Li Xin-Ming , Li Lu
Published: April 2019

Objective

This study was performed to assess the clinical feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of a computed tomography (CT)–guided cyanoacrylate injection system and investigate the relationship between clinical features and pathologic characteristics of diminutive pulmonary lesions.

Methods

In total, 115 pulmonary nodules from 113 patients (63 female, 50 male) with a diameter of <20 mm were percutaneously localized with a CT-guided cyanoacrylate injection system and then resected.

Results

Of the pure ground-glass opacities (GGOs), 16.0% were atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), 18.7% were adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), 49.3% were lung adenocarcinoma (ADC), and 16.0% were benign inflammatory fibrosis/fibrotic scars. Of the mixed GGOs, 18.2% were AAH, 22.7% were AIS, 22.7% were ADC, and 36.4% were benign lesions. Lesions of >10 mm and those located in relation to vessels were significantly more likely to be malignant. The success rate of both the cyanoacrylate injection system and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was 100% with no severe complications.

Conclusions

Preoperative localization of small pulmonary nodules using a cyanoacrylate injection system is a safe, simple, and useful technique.
Polarizing informality: Processual thinking, materiality and the emerging middle-class informality in Taipei
Authors: Chien Ker-hsuan
Published: April 2019

In recent debates, it has been argued that urban informality is a way of living. It is the consequence of people negotiating with building regulations, limited resources and their living environments. However, as some researchers have pointed out before, informality is not just the experience of subalterns; in some cases, it has become the shared experience of people across different classes. This paper therefore employs processual thinking and materiality to demonstrate how urban informality was formed and has been transformed through negotiations between people, local authorities and political realities. By thinking about Taipei’s informality as a negotiating process, informality can thus be understood as the co-production process of squatters’ struggle for a living in the city and the state’s attempt to mobilize political support. As new construction materials have prompted varied illegal construction forms, attracting new people to build illegal constructions, the demographic change has also changed the people–state relations. The state’s governance of illegal construction therefore has been leaning towards private property owners with illegal add-ons, leaving squatter settlements vulnerable to demolition. In the case of Taipei’s transforming urban informality, this paper argues that informality is not merely the result of poverty, and should not be romanticized as a way to live outside the housing market or the modern planning regime. On the contrary, it should also be examined for its impacts on the existing class differences and inequality in urban populations.
Reply to Anthropocene Working Group responses
Authors: Ruddiman William F
Published: April 2019

In 2015, the journal Science invited me to comment on the start of anthropogenic change. That request was likely related to the fact that the Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) of the International Commission of Stratigraphy was thinking of choosing a formal start date for the Anthropocene at or after 1950. Joined by three co-authors (Ruddiman et al., 2015), we emphasized the many near-global anthropogenic changes that preceded 1950 by centuries to millennia. Early in 2018, Progress in Physical Geography ( PiPG) published a more extended critique of mine regarding this possible AWG action. I noted three flaws in choosing 1950 as the formal start date. In response to this challenge, the AWG recently submitted two draft papers to PiPG, one rebutting my 2018 paper (Zalasiewicz et al.), and one supporting and extending it (Edgeworth et al.). The first part of this reply elaborates on the flaws cited in my 2018 PiPG paper, incorporating comments from Edgeworth et al. The second part addresses the criticisms in Zalasiewicz et al.
Putting the leader back into authentic leadership: Reconceptualising and rethinking leaders
Authors: Crawford Joseph A , Dawkins Sarah , Martin Angela , Lewis Gemma
Published: April 2019

Increasingly poor and unethical decision-making on the part of leaders across the globe, such as the recent Australian Cricket Ball Tampering Scandal, pose a significant challenge for society and for organisations. Authentic leadership development is one strategy that has been positioned as an antidote to unethical leadership behaviours. However, despite growing interest in authentic leadership, the construct still embodies several criticisms including conceptual clarity; leader-centricity; bias towards the person, not the leader; philosophical ambiguity; and demographic challenges. Each of these criticisms will be explored in depth to inform a reconceptualisation of the authentic leader construct, comprising indicators of awareness, sincerity, balanced processing, positive moral perspective and informal influence. Importantly, this revised conceptualisation considers how researchers can conceptually distinguish between authentic leaders, followers and individuals. To conclude, we propose a research agenda for authentic leaders, encouraging the pursuit of further construct clarity, including the development of rigorous authentic leader behaviour measures, expanding the psychometric profile of the authentic leader construct, increasing the focus on authentic followers and enhancing leader development programmes.

JEL Classification: M12
Development of a New Faulting Model in Jointed Concrete Pavement using LTPP Data
Authors: Chen Yu , Lytton Robert L.
Published: April 2019

Faulting is a major and commonplace distress in jointed concrete pavement (JCP) that can directly cause pavement roughness and adversely influence the ride quality of a vehicle. Faulting also plays an essential role in concrete pavement design. Notwithstanding the importance of faulting, the accuracy and reasonability of the faulting prediction models that have been developed to date remain controversial. Furthermore, the process of faulting over time is still not fully understood. This paper proposes a novel mechanistic-empirical model to estimate faulting depth at joints in the wheel path in JCP. Two stages within the process of faulting were revealed by the model and are introduced in this study. To distinguish the two stages of faulting, an inflection point, as a critical faulting depth, was directly determined by this model and suggested to be an indicator of the initiation of erosion for concrete pavement design. The proposed model was proven accurate and reliable by using long-term pavement performance data. The parameters in the model were statistically calibrated with performance-related factors by Akaike’s Information Criterion for variable selection and performing stepwise regression.
Operational Evaluation of U-Turns at At-Grade Signalized Diamond Interchanges
Authors: Zhou Hongmin “Tracy” , Tydlacka Jonathan , Ding Liang
Published: April 2019

U-turn lanes are commonly provided at at-grade diamond interchanges with frontage roads to reduce delays for U-turning traffic and for the interchange as a whole; however, there are currently many unknowns related to their design, operation, and use. Researchers of this study assessed the existing practice of U-turn implementation by evaluating operations of U-turn lanes at 25 diamond interchanges in Texas through field data collection and simulation analysis. Researchers determined the performance and limitations of U-turn lanes under various geometric and operational conditions, identified and investigated several factors affecting U-turn lane use, and determined the anticipated effectiveness of proposed solutions to U-turn operational issues. This paper provides implementable guidelines for designing and operating U-turn lanes at diamond interchanges. Among the ten countermeasures studied in this paper, closing nearby driveways, adding acceleration lane for U-turn departures, and separating U-turn departures from conflicting traffic using pylons were found to be effective solutions to improve U-turn operations.
Impacts of Changing from Permissive/Protected Left-Turn to Protected-Only Phasing: Case Study in the City of Tucson, Arizona
Authors: Li Xiaofeng , Weber Alexander , Cottam Adrian , Wu Yao-Jan
Published: April 2019

Recent research has focused on the safety or mobility impacts of signal timing. Several studies have compared the choice between a protected-only left turn (PO) and a protected-permissive left turn (PPLT). However, few have compared both the safety and mobility impacts, and their tradeoffs. This study proposed data-driven methods to conduct a pilot study at an intersection in Tucson, Arizona. This study evaluated the impacts on vehicular mobility and multi-modal safety when changing from a PPLT to a PO. First, the daily and annual delay for the through and left-turn movements for the intersection was evaluated using a calibrated delay model and year-long 15-min traffic sensor data. Then, real-world near misses between cyclists, pedestrians, and vehicles were manually collected and analyzed using 48 h of videos. Last, both mobility and safety measures were converted into an annual cost to determine the trade-off between the before (PPLT) and the after (PO) situations. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed methods, providing practitioners with different options to evaluate left-turn phasing strategies effectively and efficiently.
Understanding Transit Agency Perceptions about Transportation Network Companies, Shared Mobility, and Autonomous Transit: Lessons from the United States
Authors: Han Mengjie , Dean Matthew D. , Maldonado Pedro Adorno , Masungi Parfait , Srinivasan Sivaramakrishnan , Steiner Ruth L. , Salzer Kevin
Published: April 2019

Emergent technologies like autonomous/connected vehicles and shared mobility platforms are anticipated to significantly affect various aspects of the transportation network such as safety, mobility, accessibility, environmental effects, and economics. Transit agencies play a critical role in this network by providing mobility to populations unable to drive or afford personal vehicles, and in some localities carry passengers more efficiently than other modes. As transit agencies plan for the future, uncertainty remains with how to best leverage new technologies. A survey completed by 50 transit agencies across the United States revealed similar yet different perceptions and preparations regarding transportation network companies (TNCs) and autonomous transit (AT) systems. Transit agencies believe TNC market share will grow, either minimally or rapidly (72%), within the next 5 years and have either a negative (43%) or positive (35%) impact on their transit system. Only 30% of agency boards instructed the agency to work with TNCs, despite no perceived transit union support. For AT systems, 22% of agencies are studying them, 64% believe the impacts of AT over the next 10–20 years will be positive, but fewer agencies are influenced to consider new technologies because of AT systems (38%) compared with TNCs (72%). Surprisingly, transit administration is mostly unsure about driver and transit unions’ perceptions of these technologies. In addition, a significant number of transit agencies do not believe they should play a role in ensuring TNCs are safe and equitable and that TNCs should not have to adhere to the same regulations (50%, 28% respectively).
Modeling Pedestrian Injury Severity in Pedestrian-Vehicle Crashes in Rural and Urban Areas: Mixed Logit Model Approach
Authors: Chen Zhen , Fan Wei (David)
Published: April 2019

Pedestrian-vehicle crashes are more likely to result in severe pedestrian incapacitating injuries and fatalities than other types of crashes. In this study, mixed logit models are developed to investigate and identify significant contributing factors to the pedestrian injury severity in pedestrian-vehicle crashes in both rural and urban areas in North Carolina, United States. Pedestrian-vehicle crash data from the Highway Safety Information System database from 2005 to 2012 are collected and used in this study. Crash injury severities are classified into five categories: fatality; injury class 1 (disabling injury); injury class 2 (evident injury); injury class 3 (possible injury); and no injury (property damage only). The estimation results show that factors such as a bad driver’s physical condition, heavy trucks, dark light condition, speed limit between 35 and 50 mph and speed limit above 50 mph will significantly increase pedestrian injury severities in both rural and urban areas. The developed model and analysis results provide insights on developing effective countermeasures to reduce pedestrian injury severities in pedestrian-vehicle crashes and improve traffic system safety performance.
Do Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Scales Demonstrate Responsiveness as Well as Disease-Specific Scales in Patients Undergoing Knee Arthroscopy?
Authors: Kenney Raymond J. , Houck Jeff , Giordano Brian D. , Baumhauer Judith F. , Herbert Meghan , Maloney Michael D.
Published: April 2019

Background:

The Patient Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS) is an efficient metric able to detect changes in global health.

Purpose:

To assess the responsiveness, convergent validity, and clinically important difference (CID) of PROMIS compared with disease-specific scales after knee arthroscopy.

Study Design:

Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A prospective institutional review board–approved study collected PROMIS Physical Function (PF), PROMIS Pain Interference (PI), International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) results in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy. The change from preoperative to longest follow-up was used in analyses performed to determine responsiveness, convergent validity, and minimal and moderate CID using the IKDC scale as the anchor.

Results:

Of the 100 patients enrolled, 76 were included. Values of the effect size index (ESI) ranged from near 0 to 1.69 across time points and were comparable across scales. Correlations of the change in KOOS and PROMIS with IKDC ranged from r values of 0.61 to 0.79. The minimal CID for KOOS varied from 12.5 to 17.5. PROMIS PF and PI minimal CID were 3.3 and −3.2. KOOS moderate CID varied from 14.3 to 18.8. PROMIS PF and PI moderate CID were 5.0 and −5.8.

Conclusion:

The PROMIS PF and PI showed similar responsiveness and CID compared with disease-specific scales in patients after knee arthroscopy. PROMIS PI, PROMIS PF, and KOOS correlations with IKDC demonstrate that these scales are measuring a similar construct. The ESIs of PROMIS PF and PI were similar to those of KOOS and IKDC, suggesting similar responsiveness at 6 months or longer (ESI >1.0). Minimum and moderate CID values calculated for PROMIS PF and PI using IKDC as an anchor were sufficiently low to suggest clinical usefulness.

Clinical Relevance:

PROMIS PF and PI can be accurately used to determine improvement or lack thereof with clinically important changes after knee arthroscopy.
The use of sugar beet pulp stillage for co-digestion with sewage sludge and poultry manure
Authors: Borowski Sebastian , Kucner Marcin
Published: April 2019

The anaerobic mesophilic co-digestion of sugar beet pulp stillage with poultry manure and municipal sewage sludge was investigated in this study. The sugar beet pulp stillage (SBPS) mono-digestion failed owing to an accumulation of volatile fatty acids, leading to a pH value lower than 5.5. A 20% addition of poultry manure to stillage allowed for stable digestion performance despite high volatile fatty acid (total volatile fatty acids) concentrations of 5500–8500 g m−3 with propionic acid being the predominant one and constituting 72%–76% total volatile fatty acids. For this mixture, the maximum methane production of 418 dm3 kgVSfed−1 was achieved when the reactor was operated at a solids retention time of 20 days and an organic loading rate of 4.25 kgVS m−3 d−1. The co-digestion of stillage with 60% municipal sewage sludge gave the average methane yield of around 357 dm3 kgVSfed−1 for all operational conditions applied, however, the methane percentage of biogas (up to 70%) was far greater than the corresponding values obtained for sugar beet pulp stillage–poultry manure co-digestion. Neither ammonia nor volatile fatty acids destabilised the biogas production, and the volatile fatty acid profile showed the dominance of acetic acid (72%–82% total volatile fatty acids) followed by propionic and butyric acids.
Encouraging recycling among households in Malaysia: Does deterrence matter?
Authors: Ogiri Ibrahim Aishatu , Sidique Shaufique Fahmi , Talib Mansor Abu , Abdul-Rahim Abdul Samad , Radam Alias
Published: April 2019

To encourage recycling in Malaysian households, a waste separation at source programme was implemented that made it mandatory for households to sort their waste into different categories before leaving it out for collection. Penalties designed to act as a deterrent are imposed on households that fail to sort their waste appropriately. But does this deterrence motivate compliance with the programme directives? This study employs the deterrence theory to investigate if deterrence alone is sufficient to motivate households to actively participate in recycling. A total of 866 questionnaires were administered in person in households in Putrajaya and Melaka. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results of the structural model reveal that just 25% of the variance in compliance is explained by the severity of the sanction, and the perceived certainty of penalty imposed. Perceived severity of sanction (β = 0.149, p = 0.012) and perceived certainty of sanction (β = 0.383, p = 0.000) were found to contribute significantly to compliance behaviour to the programme directives. However, deterrence alone cannot motivate household participation in waste separation at source because it only explains 25% of compliance behaviour. The present study provides information that could allow policymakers to understand recycling habits better and implement more effective compliance strategies.
The Chinese Version of the Subjective Happiness Scale: Validation and Convergence With Multidimensional Measures
Authors: Chien Chin-Lung , Chen Po-Lin , Chu Po-Jui , Wu Hsiang-Yi , Chen Yi-Chao , Hsu Shih-Chi
Published: April 2019

This article aimed to establish the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS-C) and to investigate the convergence between SHS-C and multidimensional subjective well-being (MSWB). A total of 543 college students completed the following measures: the SHS-C, the MSWB scale, Rosenberg’s self-esteem scale, and the interpersonal harmony scale. The SHS-C showed adequate internal consistent reliability and test–retest reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed a one-factor structure of the SHS-C, and multigroup CFA showed factor invariance between gender groups. Subjective happiness, as measured by the SHS-C, and MSWB, as measured by life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect, were highly correlated (above .90), suggesting convergent validity. The SHS-C was also correlated with two theoretically different but related constructs, self-esteem and interpersonal harmony, providing evidence of criterion-related validity. The results provide preliminary evidence that the SHS-C is valid with a Chinese-speaking population and that the SHS-C and MSWB may be interchangeable.
Interactive Computing Technology in Anti-Bullying Education: The Effects of Conversation-Bot’s Role on K-12 Students’ Attitude Change Toward Bullying Problems
Authors: Young Oh Eun , Song Donggil , Hong Hyeonmi
Published: April 2019

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an anti-bullying activity that utilizes conversational virtual agents (called conversation-bots or chatbots) on students’ attitudes toward bullying problems. An experimental pre- or posttest design with a three-group setting was used. Eighty-nine fifth-grade students were assigned to one of three groups: Conversation with a virtual agent of (a) bully’s role, (b) victim’s role, and (c) teacher’s role. All agents are conversation-bots designed to support learner–computer interactions. The bully agent defends the notion that bullying behaviors are acceptable whereas the victim agent argues that bullying behavior cannot be tolerated. The teacher agent teaches students the types of bullying and its negative aspects. The participants completed an anti-bullying attitude test at pre- and posttest, which included students’ anti-bully, intention, pro-victim, behavior, and self-efficacy factors. The results show that students’ attitudes toward bullying problems changed to more positive responses after the implementation that used the conversation-bot. In addition, the results revealed that the agent’s role had an impact on the students’ attitudes toward the anti-bully factor. Implications and future research regarding the use of conversation-bots in education are discussed.
Constructively Managing Program-related Conflict In Local Churches
Authors: Dunaetz David R.
Published: April 2019

Interpersonal conflict surrounding church programs is a major source of distress for both pastoral staff and lay members of evangelical churches. Such conflict, when destructive, may severely hinder the achievement of program objectives. However, conflict when managed constructively may lead to a more effective program and strengthened relationships. This empirical study seeks to understand the conditions under which program-related conflict in evangelical churches leads to detrimental outcomes and those which lead to constructive outcomes. In a role-playing, survey-based experiment of American church attenders ( N = 276), participants’ satisfaction with conflict outcome was measured in a scenario with various outcomes concerning their program-related goal (maintaining the starting time of a mid-week children’s program) and their social goals (e.g., having a better relationship with the director of the children’s program, being affirmed in their Christian identity, and ensuring that decisions are made fairly). The study indicates that, in a conflict concerning a children’s program, church attenders who have a salient social goal achieved, but not their program-related goal, will be more satisfied than church attenders who have their program-related goal achieved but not a salient social goal.
Inpatient Enhanced Multidisciplinary Care Effects on the Quality of Life for Parkinson Disease: A Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Marumoto Kohei , Yokoyama Kazumasa , Inoue Tomomi , Yamamoto Hiroshi , Kawami Yuki , Nakatani Ayumi , Fukazawa Yoshihiro , Hosoe Yayoi , Yamasaki Aki , Domen Kazuhisa
Published: April 2019

Objectives:

To compare the effects of inpatient enhanced multidisciplinary care (EMC) and multidisciplinary rehabilitation (MR) on the symptoms and quality of life (QOL) of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and to clarify the relation between reduction in symptoms and the improved QOL.

Methods:

This study was a quasi-randomized controlled (alternate allocation), assessor-blinded, single-center study. We recruited 80 patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease, Hoehn and Yahr stage 2 to 4, on stable medication. Patients were included in an EMC or MR group. Both rehabilitation programs were performed for 8 weeks (17 h/wk). Main outcome measures were Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire-39 and Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale.

Results:

The EMC induced significant improvements in QOL compared to MR. We found that body axis symptoms (rising from a chair, posture, postural stability, falling, and walking) as well as nonmotor symptoms (depression) in patients with PD were relieved by the inpatient EMC.

Conclusions:

Enhanced multidisciplinary care for patients with PD appears to be effective in improving the QOL. The improvement in motor and nonmotor symptoms, including depression, may contribute to the improved QOL.
Crashworthy structures for future vehicle architecture of autonomous pods and heavy quadricycles on public roads: A review
Authors: Harrison Andrew , Christensen Jesper , Bastien Christophe , Kanarachos Stratis
Published: April 2019

With the development and deployment of lightweight vehicles to the market, inclusive of autonomous pods, a review of advanced crashworthy structures and the design methodology has been conducted as it is thought that super-lightweight vehicles may pose significant risk to the occupants if they are involved in a crash. It is suggested that tests should include oblique and multiple velocity impacts to cater for the effects of assisted driving systems of future vehicles. A review of current crash structures and design methodologies revealed that the most recent research do not cater to multiple crash scenarios, nor a shorter crush allowance, therefore resulting in poor crashworthiness performance. In addition, the arbitrary seat positioning shown in autonomous pods’ concepts vastly increases the risk to occupants. Greater enhancements to passive crashworthiness are imperative. To this end, functionally graded vehicle structures should be designed as it has been found that these can provide optimized solutions. Research into nonlinear optimization methods for computationally expensive problems will become central to this.
A model for the stochastic prediction of track support stiffness
Authors: Le Pen Louis , Milne David , Watson Geoff , Harkness John , Powrie William
Published: April 2019

As well as guiding the train, one of the key aims of a railway track system is to provide support to the train at the wheel–rail interface that is of near-uniform compliance. Of the various components that make up this compliance, the contribution of the trackbed (ballast and subgrade) is the most difficult to understand and control. This paper presents data from field measurements of the track support system stiffness for a continuous run of 209 sleepers on a high-speed ballasted railway. The data indicate a level of variability, even on a highly engineered and well-maintained route. Statistical analysis of the data is used to demonstrate the dependence of the trackbed modulus at an individual sleeper on the modulus of the sleeper immediately preceding it, and that in statistical terms the effect of sleepers further away is due to correlation between the intermediate sleepers. An optimum trackbed stiffness, close to the overall mean, at which the standard deviation is a minimum is demonstrated for a particular site. As the trackbed stiffness moves away from this optimum value, the likely variation from sleeper to sleeper increases. A framework for implementing a stochastic approach for predicting the variation in track support stiffness from one sleeper to another, based on a Markov model and appropriate probability distribution functions, is then proposed. This framework may be used for the quantitative comparison of different sites and for simulating the plausible values of track stiffness in the vehicle–track interaction analysis.
Contextual variables explaining the influence of social networking sites for information communication among library users: Cross-cultural study between China and Pakistan using Structure Equation Modeling
Authors: Jabeen Misbah , Qinjian Yuan , Imran Muhammad , Jabeen Munazza , Rafiq Muhammad
Published: April 2019

The purpose of the study is to identify the core mechanism of how social networking sites use happens in the perspective of contextual factors and then examine the cultural difference in the motives for using social networking sites between China and Pakistan university students. An instrument was designed to calculate the various aspect factors and social networking use intention by using the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the information success model (ISSM). A survey was administered among university students of China and Pakistan. The purposed model was empirically tested by PLS-SEM to examine the influential factors on the use of social networking sites. To the best of our knowledge, there is no cross-cultural published study associated with contextual factors effecting use of social networking sites between China and Pakistan. Our findings show that there are indeed important learning and network factors that lead to social networking sites. This paper examines how cultural perspectives shape the use of communication technology by examining the patterns of using social network sites among university students in China and Pakistan. The results of the study show that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, perceived interaction and system use have positive and direct effect on the intention to use social networking sites for information communication. More interestingly, the use of such social networking factors varies sharply across countries with different market-based institutions.
When Patients Overreport Symptoms: More Than Just Malingering
Authors: Merckelbach Harald , Dandachi-FitzGerald Brechje , van Helvoort Daniel , Jelicic Marko , Otgaar Henry
Published: April 2019

Mental-health patients may report more symptoms than they actually experience. Experts and laypeople often view this overreporting as a sign of malingering. We show that there are multiple pathways to symptom overreporting: carryover effects from previous tests that lower the threshold for answering affirmatively to symptom items, suggestive misinformation that escalates symptom reports, inattentive responding that promotes indiscriminate endorsement of symptoms, and personality traits that bias symptom reports in an upward direction. A one-sided focus on malingering may distract from a research agenda that may contribute to knowledge accumulation in this domain.
Beyond silos: An interprofessional, campus-wide ethics education program
Authors: Polczynski Angela M , Rozmus Cathy L , Carlin Nathan
Published: April 2019

Background:

Ethics education is essential to the education of all healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an interprofessional approach to ethics education to all students across an academic health science center.

Research objectives:

The objectives were to (1) compare student perception of ethics education before and after the implementation of the campus-wide ethics program and (2) determine changes in student ethical decision-making skills following implementation of a campus-wide ethics program.

Research design:

This study was a quasi-experimental design with seniors graduating prior to the intervention serving as the control group.

Participants and research context:

The setting was a comprehensive health science center in the southwestern United States. All students enrolled in the university participated in the intervention; however, 976 graduating students were used for evaluation of the intervention.

Ethical considerations:

Study materials for each survey were submitted to the university’s IRB, and the project was approved as exempt by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects. Student participation in the surveys was voluntary. No names or other identifying information were collected, and responses to the survey questions were kept confidential.

Findings:

Students’ perception of the adequacy of time spent on the ethics content in course instruction and practical training decreased from the baseline to the fifth-year survey. Students’ overall comfort level with their abilities to deal with ethical issues increased from the baseline to the fifth year. Student ethical decision-making skills were higher at the third-year evaluation for all indicators. For the fifth-year survey, responses were also higher scoring on all four indicators.

Discussion:

After participation in an interprofessional campus-wide effort on health professions ethics, students demonstrated higher ethical decision-making scores according to the Health Professional Ethics Rubric. However, their scores still did not reach the proficiency level identified in the rubric.

Conclusion:

Examination of the effectiveness of each part of the intervention is needed.
Developing a scale: Adolescents’ health choices related rights, duties and responsibilities
Authors: Moilanen Tanja , Pietilä Anna-Maija , Coffey Margaret , Kangasniemi Mari
Published: April 2019

Background:

Adolescents’ health choices have been widely researched, but the ethical basis of these choices, namely their rights, duties, and responsibilities, have been disregarded and scale is required to measure these.

Objective:

To describe the development of a scale that measures adolescents’ rights, duties, and responsibilities in relation to health choices and document the preliminary scale testing.

Research design:

A multi-phase development method was used to construct the Health Rights Duties and Responsibilities ( HealthRDR) scale. The concepts and content were defined through document analysis, a systematic literature review, and focus groups. The content validity and clarity of the items were evaluated by expert panel of 23 adolescents, school nurses, and researchers. We calculated the content validity index and the content validity ratio at on item and scale levels. Preliminary testing was conducted with 200 adolescents aged 15–16 years. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha correlation, and statistics for the item-analysis were calculated.

Ethical considerations:

Ethical approval and permission were obtained according to national legislation and responsible research practice was followed. Informed consent was obtained from the participants and the parents were informed about the study.

Findings:

The Health Rights Duties and Responsibilities scale comprises of four sub-scales with 148 items: 15 on health choices, 36 on rights, 47 on duties, and 50 on responsibilities. The items had a 0.93 content validity index and a 0.85 content validity ratio. Cronbach’s alpha correlation coefficient was 0.99 for the total scale and the individual sub-scales scores were health choices (0.93), rights (0.97), responsibilities (0.99), and duties (0.98).

Discussion:

The findings are discussed in light of the ethical concepts and validity and reliability of the developed scale.

Conclusion:

The Health Rights Duties and Responsibilities scale defines and understands adolescents’ rights, duties, and responsibilities in relation to health choices and has good content validity. Further testing and refinement of the concepts are needed.
Moral distress in correctional nurses: A national survey
Authors: Lazzari Tiziano , Terzoni Stefano , Destrebecq Anne , Meani Luca , Bonetti Loris , Ferrara Paolo
Published: April 2019

Background:

Moral distress is an increasingly documented problem in nursing and might foster nurses’ intention to leave their workplace. It has been studied in different settings, but no specific research has been conducted in Italian correctional facilities. A recent Italian study produced a preliminary validation of the Moral Distress Scale for Correctional Nurses, which needs to be completed.

Objectives:

To investigate the level of moral distress of nurses working in the Italian correctional setting, by completing the validation process of the Moral Distress Scale for Correctional Nurses.

Methodology:

Multicenter questionnaire survey. All correctional nurses (461) affiliated with the Italian Society of Medicine and Penitentiary Health (also called “Simspe-onlus”) were invited to participate and 238 responded. The survey was conducted between April and November 2017 through SurveyMonkey®. Analysis of covariance was conducted to investigate the relationship between moral distress and the other variables under study. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the scale to confirm its dimensions.

Ethical considerations:

The study was approved by the Italian Society of Medicine and Penitentiary Health (Simspe-onlus). The questionnaire included informed consent, pursuant to the law in force. The software could not accept questionnaires without explicit consent. Data were analyzed anonymously.

Findings:

The median score was 46.5, indicating moderate moral distress. The only variable affecting moral distress was work experience in correctional facilities. Longer experience was correlated to higher levels of moral distress and intention to leave. Incompetent colleagues and short staffing were related to higher levels of moral distress. The scale confirmed the one-dimensional structure suggested by the original authors.

Discussion:

This is the first study investigating moral distress among Correctional Nurses. The prison context is a high-risk environment for nurses, increasing the intention to leave the workplace.

Conclusion:

Corrective and protective measures, such as specific education, are needed to prevent moral distress development and to reduce nurses’ shortage in this area.
The association of job satisfaction and burnout with individualized care perceptions in nurses
Authors: Danaci Esra , Koç Zeliha
Published: April 2019

Background:

Individualized care is closely related to the fulfillment of nurses’ ethical responsibilities regarding the provision of healthcare as well as having a strong foundation in the philosophy of nursing.

Objective:

This study aimed to determine the association of job satisfaction and burnout with individualized care perceptions in nurses working at a university hospital located in the Central Black Sea region of northern Turkey.

Research design:

A cross-sectional correlational survey design.

Participants and research context:

The study was conducted between 15 February 2017 and 15 August 2017 with 419 nurses working at a public university hospital located in Samsun. Data were collected using an information form, the Individualized Care Scale-Nurse Version, the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test and Spearman Correlation were used.

Ethical considerations:

Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Ondokuz Mayıs University Clinical Studies Board of Ethics. Oral informed consent was taken from the participants.

Findings:

There was a significant positive relationship between the total Individualized Care Scale-A Nurse Version score and the General Satisfaction subscale score of the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale (r = 0.121, p < 0.05). The total Individualized Care Scale-A Nurse Version score increased as the General Satisfaction subscale score of the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale increased. There was a significant negative relationship between the total Individualized Care Scale-B Nurse Version score and the Desensitization (r = –0.143, p < 0.01) and Personal Achievement subscale scores of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (r = –0.182, p < 0.01). The Desensitization and Personal Achievement subscale scores of the Maslach Burnout Inventory increased as the total Individualized Care Scale-B Nurse Version score decreased.

Discussion:

Factors associated with the individualized care perceptions of nurses, such as job satisfaction and burnout levels and factors related to personal life and worklife should be taken into consideration. Also in order to increase job satisfaction and motivation in nurses, personal preferences regarding the service they want to work at should be taken into account.

Conclusion:

Nurses with lower burnout and higher job satisfaction were found to have higher individualized care perceptions and to support the individuality of patients in care applications. It is important to consider work-related factors associated with individualized care perceptions, job satisfaction, and burnout in nurses.
Ideology and the rationality of non-voting
Authors: Facchini François , Jaeck Louis
Published: April 2019

What is the theoretical impact of the erosion of partisan ties on electoral abstention? This question comes from Downs–North’s theory of political ideology, which is a tool to reduce the cost of understanding the political debates. Then, when the left–right political divide becomes less visible, the costs of understanding political debates rise and electoral abstention occurs. This interpretation of abstention has three implications: first, it shows that among the multiple reasons responsible for the ‘democratic crisis’ in France, the weakening of the traditional notion of the left and the right is significant. Second, it highlights that voters’ level of education and the Downsian theory of programme convergence affect electoral behaviours and political entrepreneurship. Third, it explains why the relationship between abstention and economic crisis is nonlinear.
Exploring Perceptions of Continuity of Care Among People With Long-Term Mental Disorders in Denmark
Authors: Folker Anna P. , Kristensen Mette M. , Kusier Amalie O. , Nielsen Maj Britt D. , Lauridsen Sigurd M. , Sølvhøj Ida N.
Published: April 2019

Continuity of mental health care is central to improve the treatment and rehabilitation of people with mental disorders. While most studies on continuity of care fail to take the perspectives of service users into account, the aim of this study was to explore the perceived meanings of continuity of care among people with long-term mental disorders. Fifteen service users participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. We used template analysis to guide the analysis. The main transversal themes of continuity were “Navigating the system” and “Connecting to people and everyday life.” While the first theme related to the participants’ experiences of their interaction with the mental health care system, the latter related to their hopes and perceived opportunities for a good life as desired outcomes of mental health care. We conclude that efforts to improve continuity of mental health care should be tailored to the priorities of service users.
Influence of rough surface on damage evolution and fatigue life of M50-bearing steel containing a spherical inclusion
Authors: Guan Jian , Wang Liqin , Li Yunfeng , Zhang Chuanwei , Gu Le
Published: April 2019

In this paper, a continuum damage mechanics model is incorporated into the finite element model which contains a spherical inclusion to investigate damage evolution and predict fatigue life of M50-bearing steel. Quasi-dynamic method, isothermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication analysis and non-Gaussian surface simulating technique are combined to obtain the contact pressure. The damage evolution process of the micro-domain considering roughness texture is simulated and the fatigue life is predicted. The result shows that transverse texture can weaken the damage accumulation due to the strengthening of hydrodynamic effect. The effects of surface roughness parameters on fatigue life are also analyzed. It should be noted that transverse texture, small mean square root value and kurtosis, negative skewness are helpful for enhancing the fatigue life of bearing steel. Meanwhile, the increase of frictional coefficient and radius, negative position of local region will reduce the fatigue life.
Behavioural variety of a node-based sensorimotor-to-motor map
Authors: Woolford Felix MG , Egbert Matthew D
Published: April 2019

The iterant deformable sensorimotor medium (IDSM) is a controller that has been used to study habits construed as self-sustaining patters of sensorimotor activity. To understand the dynamics of this controller, we investigate a heavily simplified variation of it called a node-based sensorimotor-to-motor map (NB-SMM). This deterministic, stateless, continuous-time controller coupled to a minimalistic robot and environment demonstrates six distinct categories of behaviour, including an ability to distinguish between the two sides of a symmetric stimulus, suggesting that controllers based purely on sensorimotor-state to motor mappings may be more capable than intuition first suggests. As the number of nodes increases, the potential behavioural complexity also increases. With two nodes, cycles become possible, along with systems which produce multiple behaviours depending upon initial conditions. This hints at the potential behavioural complexity of a system with many more nodes and provides insight into the kinds of behaviours that might be accomplished by IDSM-controlled robots or virtual agents.
Man Up but Stay Smooth: Hybrid Masculinities in Advertising for Men’s Grooming Products
Authors: Scheibling Casey , Lafrance Marc
Published: April 2019

In this article, we address the question of how masculinities are constructed in advertising for the burgeoning market of men’s grooming products. We present findings from a thematic analysis of all grooming product advertisements found in Esquire magazine from 2011 to 2013. Based on the results, we emphasize the ways in which these ads construct “hybrid” and “flexible” masculinities through combining symbols and narratives relating to bodywork, power, heterosexuality, work, family, and nostalgia. While the constructions of masculinity we see in these ads are hybridized and flexible, we argue that men’s grooming product advertising should be read as marketing a contemporary “crisis” of masculinity in the context of late-modern consumer culture.
The Survival Benefits of Service Intensity for New Manufacturing Ventures: A Resource-Advantage Theory Perspective
Authors: Patel Pankaj C. , Pearce John A. , Guedes Maria J.
Published: April 2019

We investigate the association between service intensity and the survival odds of new manufacturing ventures. Although previous research extensively addresses the value of servitization in established firms, this is the first empirical study that asks whether service intensity, defined as the percentage of sales from services, is beneficial or detrimental to new ventures. Drawing on resource-advantage theory, we further ask whether, under increasing service intensity, new ventures with a higher industry-adjusted ratio of tangible to total assets, labor productivity, or current ratio improve survival odds. Based on a comprehensive data on 6,683 new Portuguese manufacturing ventures founded between 2006 and 2010 and followed until 2015 (33,272 venture-year observations), the results show that higher service intensity lowers the odds of survival. For entrepreneurs, we caution against higher service intensity but demonstrate that survival odds can improve under increasing service intensity when the company can achieve a higher industry median–adjusted ratio of tangible to total assets, improved labor productivity, or a stronger current ratio position. The findings are robust after controlling for endogeneity and self-selection into services.
Far-sided defect recognition of FRP sandwich structures based on local defect resonance
Authors: Zhang Shufeng , Ma Chao , Hu Haifeng , Jiang Yu , Chen Xun , Li Xiongbing
Published: April 2019

This work provides a novel methodology to non-destructively detect far-sided defect of sandwich structures by local defect resonance-based acoustic activation. Sandwich panel specimens with 10 mm thick balsa wood core and 25 mm thick Nomex honeycomb core are investigated, and artificial facesheet-core disbond with a size of 30 mm × 30 mm is introduced to the specimens. Finite element modeling is constructed to investigate resonance frequency of defect region. Experimental apparatus is constructed to detect far-sided facesheet-core disbond defect, where vibration activation and measurement is performed at near-sided facesheet. It is shown that if the far-sided defect is activated at local defect resonance frequency, distinguishable nonlinear vibration characteristic could be observed from the near-sided facesheet, and the 3rd order superharmonic is especially significant. A stepped frequency sweep excitation approach is further developed for recognition of far-sided defect, which better fits automated defect detection process as local defect resonance frequency is not required to be preliminarily determined.