bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of two types of catheters through femoral vein catheterization in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy: A retrospective study
Authors: Xu Binbin , Zhang Jinghui , Tang Siyuan , Hou Jianmei , Ma Mengdan
Published: April 2018

Purpose:

This study aimed to investigate the effects and complications of different types of peripherally inserted central catheters through femoral vein catheterization in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of 158 patients with lung cancer undergoing implantation of a venous access through femoral vein catheterization was performed. The patients were divided into two groups by convenience sampling: the single-lumen silicone Groshong peripherally inserted central catheters with valved tip were used in patients in group A, the single-lumen power-injectable polyurethane peripherally inserted central catheters with no valve were used in patients in group B. The gravity flow rate and indwelling time of the catheter and incidences of total obstruction, transient obstruction, irreversible obstruction, catheter-related thrombosis, catheter breakage, and accidental dislodgment were compared between the two groups.

Results:

The catheter indwelling time and incidences of irreversible obstruction, catheter-related thrombosis, and accidental dislodgment in the two groups were not statistically significantly different ( p > 0.05). The catheter gravity flow rate and incidences of total obstruction, transient obstruction, and catheter breakage were statistically significantly different between the two groups ( p < 0.01).

Conclusion:

Single-lumen power-injectable peripherally inserted central catheters with no valve had a high gravity flow rate, were strong and not prone to rupture, tolerant to high-pressure injection, and were more suitable for femorally inserted central venous catheterization in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy.
m-Reading: Fiction reading from mobile phones
Authors: Kuzmičová Anežka , Schilhab Theresa , Burke Michael
Published: April 2018

Mobile phones are reportedly the most rapidly expanding e-reading device worldwide. However, the embodied, cognitive and affective implications of smartphone-supported fiction reading for leisure (m-reading) have yet to be investigated empirically. Revisiting the theoretical work of digitization scholar Anne Mangen, we argue that the digital reading experience is not only contingent on patterns of embodied reader–device interaction (Mangen, 2008 and later) but also embedded in the immediate environment and broader situational context. We call this the situation constraint. Its application to Mangen’s general framework enables us to identify four novel research areas, wherein m-reading should be investigated with regard to its unique affordances. The areas are reader–device affectivity, situated embodiment, attention training and long-term immersion.
Strokes of serendipity: Community co-curation and engagement with digital heritage
Authors: Mutibwa Daniel H , Hess Alison , Jackson Tom
Published: April 2018

This article explores the potential that community-led digital engagement with heritage holds for stimulating active citizenship through taking responsibility for shared cultural heritage and for fostering long-lasting relationships between local community heritage groups and national museums. Through the lens of a pilot project titled Science Museum: Community-in-Residence, we discovered that – despite working with community groups that were already loyal to and enjoyed existing working ties with the Science Museum in London, United Kingdom – this undertaking proved challenging owing to a range of structural and logistical issues even before the application of digital devices and tools had been considered. These challenges notwithstanding, the pilot found that the creation of time and space for face-to-face dialogue and interactions between the Science Museum and the participating community heritage groups helped to establish the parameters within which digital co-curation can effectively occur. This, in turn, informed the development of a digital prototype with huge potential to enable remote, virtual connectivity to, and interactivity with, conversations about shared heritage. The ultimate goal was twofold: (a) to help facilitate collaborative sense-making of our shared past and (b) to aid the building of sustainable institutional and community/public working ties around emerging affinities, agendas and research questions in relation to public history and heritage.
How have EU ‘fire-fighters’ sought to douse the flames of the eurozone’s fast- and slow-burning crises? The 2013 structural funds reform
Authors: Coman Ramona
Published: April 2018

This article examines the debates surrounding the Regulation 1303/2013 on structural funds, arguing that the rules adopted in the midst of the eurozone crisis to strengthen the governance of the euro area had spill-over effects on cohesion policy. It shows how, in the fast-burning phase of the crisis (2010–2013), some actors pushed forward the idea of suspending structural funds in case of non-compliance with the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact, making funding conditional on Member States’ compliance with the rules of the new economic governance, and how, after the entry into force of this Regulation, in the slow-burning phase of the crisis (from 2013 onwards), a greater number of actors has been calling for a more flexible interpretation of the rules. To explain the disruption between t1 and t2, the article examines the change in the power relations between and within institutions and the change in ideas.
Punishment and Welfare revisited
Authors: Garland David
Published: April 2018

First published in 1985, Punishment and Welfare: A History of Penal Strategies develops a number of themes that continue to animate the research agenda of today’s sociology of punishment. This essay is a revised version of a new Preface written for the 2018 reprint edition of the book that reflects on its findings and method and their relevance in the current conjuncture.
Value proposition as a framework for value cocreation in crowdfunding ecosystems
Authors: Quero María José , Ventura Rafael
Published: April 2018

The aim of this article is to explore whether the ecosystem approach is required to understand the new service model of crowdfunding. The value proposition approach offers different interpretations for each of the eight levels of value co-creation as seen in the service ecosystem. A qualitative multiple case-study approach is used to analyze the two most representative crowdfunding platforms in Spain, Verkami and Lánzanos, in terms of the amounts of funds provided. This article offers an analysis of specific cases of crowdfunding in the arts and cultural sector through the biggest platforms in Spain. The sampling design could be improved by including the experiences of crowdfunding projects in other countries in the analysis. The findings could assist service managers and practitioners to improve planning of value cocreation through the value propositions approach, with a variety of actors within the service ecosystem. This article is a contribution to the development of service-dominant (SD) logic in relation to FP 7 and FP 10. Managerial contributions include the development of a crowdfunding service ecosystem model for arts managers, which offers not only a method of generating finance or economic value but also opportunities for strengthening bonds with customers and other stakeholders. This article is unique in that it integrates value proposition categories in micro-, meso-, and macrocontexts and analyzes the different kinds of cocreation that exist in the crowdfunding context.
A systematic meta-review of self-management support for people with dementia
Authors: Huis in het Veld Judith G , Verkaik Renate , van Meijel Berno , Francke Anneke L
Published: April 2018

Self-management support for people with dementia is important to help them and their family caregivers to cope with challenges in daily live. Insight into the effects of self-management support interventions on people with dementia is however lacking, despite existing relevant systematic reviews. We therefore conducted a meta-review of relevant systematic reviews, following the PRISMA statement. Systematic literature searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Embase and PsycINFO. The searches were done in December 2015, and all relevant references until then were taken into consideration. No conclusions about the effects of self-management support interventions on people with dementia could be drawn. Recommendations for future research and practice include that self-management support interventions and effect measurements should be wider in scope than psychological well-being.
The Humanities And The University: Craig Calhoun Interviewed
Authors: Vale Peter
Published: April 2018

In this interview Craig Calhoun talks about universities, the Humanities and his own research. Universities reinvent themselves in the face of societal and technological change. In the midst of this change, however, universities are charged with maintaining old ideals, with informing the public and creating opportunities for human development. The Humanities often bemoan these changes but they are ideally positioned to contribute to the changing university – especially through teaching – and so protect the traditional place of the university in society. The Humanities must help to defend the canon but, at the same time, be open to new rethinking the canon by embracing alternative epistemologies. One means to do this is to opening knowledge up by embracing languages other than English. Calhoun’s own research is focussed on those ‘parts of globalisation’ that are not commonly investigated: Belonging and Identity, Social Emergencies as an exception; the fragility of Global capitalism.
Autonomy, trust and ante-mortem interventions to facilitate organ donation
Authors: Brown Sarah-Jane
Published: April 2018

Over the last few years, policies have been introduced in the UK that identify and treat patients as potential organ donors before death. Patients incapacitated due to catastrophic brain injury may now undergo intensive ante-mortem interventions to improve the chances of successfully transplanting their organs into third parties after death. The most significant ethical and legal problem with these policies is that they are not based on the individual’s specific wishes in the circumstances. Policy-makers appear reluctant to inform potential registrants on the Organ Donor Register about ante-mortem donor optimisation procedures and to provide an opportunity to record specific wishes in advance. They are reliant on blind trust in the organ donation programme, which as I argue in this paper, presents significant risks for the achievement of its aim of securing an adequate supply of organs for transplantation. I argue that informed trust, based on accurate information about the future consequences of registration, is a more stable and enduring form of trust in the long term and would provide that sense of security in one’s expectations that often appears to be missing in relation to organ donation.
Reporting Fatal Neglect in Child Death Review
Authors: Scott Debbie
Published: April 2018

Child death reviews are conducted with the aim of preventing child deaths however, definitions, inclusion criteria for the review of child deaths and reporting practices vary across Child Death Review Teams (CDRTs). This article aims to identify a common context and understanding of fatal neglect reporting by reviewing definitional issues of fatal neglect and comparing reporting practice across a number of CDRTs. Providing a consistent context for identifying and reporting neglect-related deaths may improve the understanding of the impact of fatal neglect and the risk factors associated with it and therefore, improve the potential of CDRT review to inform prevention programs, policies, and procedures.
Promoting a Culture of Health Through Cross-Sector Collaborations
Authors: Martsolf Grant R. , Sloan Jennifer , Villarruel Antonia , Mason Diana , Sullivan Cheryl
Published: April 2018

In this study, we explore the experiences of innovative nurses who have developed cross-sector collaborations toward promoting a culture of health, with the aim of identifying lessons that can inform similar efforts of other health care professionals. We used a mixed-methods approach based on data from both an online survey and telephone interviews. A majority of the participants had significant collaborations with health care providers and non–health care providers. Strong partners included mental health providers, specialists, and primary care providers on the health side, and for non–health partners, the strongest collaborations were with community leaders, research institutions, and local businesses. Themes that emerged for successful collaborations included having to be embedded in both the community and in institutions of power, ensuring that a shared vision and language with all partners are established, and leading with strength and tenacity. A focus on building a culture of health will grow as payment policy moves away from fee-for-service toward models that focus on incentivizing population health. Effective efforts to promote a culture of health require cross-sector collaborations that draw on long-term, trusting relationships among leaders. Health care practitioners can be important leaders and “bridgers” in collaborations, but they must possess or develop the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of “bilingual” facilitators, partners, and “relationship builders.”
An Explore Transplant Group Randomized Controlled Education Trial to Increase Dialysis Patients’ Decision-Making and Pursuit of Transplantation
Authors: Waterman Amy D. , Peipert John Devin
Published: April 2018

Introduction:

Dialysis centers must provide transplant education to patients but often do not address the risks and benefits of living and deceased donor transplant.

Research Questions:

In a group randomized controlled trial of 20 dialysis centers and 253 patients, we assessed whether the Explore Transplant education program increased patients’ readiness to pursue transplant, transplant knowledge, informed transplant decision-making, discussions about transplant with potential living donors, pursuit and receipt of living or deceased donor transplant, and whether these effects varied by race.

Methods:

Patients at participating dialysis centers were randomized to receive either (1) a 4-module Explore Transplant education program, including videos, printed materials, and transplant educator discussions or (2) standard-of-care transplant education provided by dialysis centers. The trial had 3 phases: (1) pre- and postsurveying and dialysis center education (2007-2008), (2) follow-up to determine whether patients restarted or began transplant evaluation (2008-2010), and (3) assessment of participants’ receipt of a renal transplant (2012-2015).

Results:

Compared to patients in standard-of-care dialysis centers, patients who received the intervention were more likely to increase in their stage of readiness for living donor transplantation (odds ratio: 2.50; 95% confidence interval: 1.10-5.66), had greater increases in their transplant knowledge ( P < .001), and were more likely to call to restart/begin transplant evaluation (38% vs 24%, P = .006). When analyses were stratified by race, black patients were more likely to take several steps toward transplant in comparison to whites.

Discussion:

The Explore Transplant helps dialysis patients make informed decisions and increases their pursuit of transplant, particularly among black patients.
Gateway Bodies: Serial Form, Genre, and White Femininity in Imported Crime TV
Authors: Klinger Barbara
Published: April 2018

In this article, I study transnational crime TV through a key recurring textual element—serial narrative—to understand how it creates terms of transnational legibility in a major import market, the United States. These programs’ serial form both suits the ecology of the U.S. post-network era and articulates aesthetic and ideological norms recognizable to U.S. audiences. Imported serial crime TV is tied to multiple genres and familiar tropes of gender and race, often relying on the discovery of white female victims to galvanize police investigations, serve as gothic spectacles, and animate family melodramas. DR’s Forbrydelsen exemplifies such complexly layered and “translatable” serial form. I argue that the aesthetics of this and other programs foreground raced female bodies to deterritorialize them, in the process creating a transnational lingua franca in crime TV. In repeatedly pairing such victims and female detectives, these shows ultimately also illuminate the place feminism itself occupies in transnational flow.
The Use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Planning a Pedicled Perforator Flap for Pressure Sores in the Gluteal Region
Authors: Park Sun-June , Lee Kyeong-Tae , Jeon Byung-Joon , Woo Kyong-Je
Published: April 2018

Pedicled perforator flaps (PPFs) have been widely used to treat pressure sores in the gluteal region. Selection of a reliable perforator is crucial for successful surgical treatment of pressure sores using PPFs. In this study, we evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in planning PPF reconstruction of pressure sores in the gluteal region. A retrospective chart review was performed in patients who had undergone these PPF reconstructions and who had received preoperative MRI. Preoperatively, the extent of infection and necrotic tissue was evaluated using MRI, and a reliable perforator was identified, considering the perforator location in relation to the defect, perforator size, and perforator courses. Intraoperatively, the targeted perforator was marked on the skin at the locations measured on the MRI images, and the marked location was confirmed using intraoperative handheld Doppler. Superior gluteal artery, inferior gluteal artery, or parasacral perforators were used for the PPFs. Surgical outcomes were evaluated. A total of 12 PPFs were performed in 12 patients. Superior gluteal artery perforator flaps were performed in 7 patients, inferior gluteal artery perforator flaps were performed in 3 patients, and parasacral perforator flaps were performed in 2 patients. We could identify a reliable perforator on MRI, and it was found at the predicted locations in all cases. There was only one case of partial flap necrosis. There was no recurrence of the pressure sores during the mean follow-up period of 6.7 months (range = 3-15 months). In selected patients with gluteal pressure sores, MRI is a suitable means for not only providing information about disease extent and comorbidities but also for evaluating perforators for PPF reconstructions.
Do Women With Breast Cancer Who Choose Adjunctive Integrative Oncology Care Receive Different Standard Oncologic Treatment?
Authors: Standish Leanna J. , Dowd Fred , Sweet Erin , Dale Linda , Andersen M. Robyn
Published: April 2018

Purpose: To determine if women with breast cancer who choose adjunctive naturopathic oncology (NO) specialty care receive different standard oncologic treatment when compared with breast cancer patients who receive only standard care. Participants: Women with breast cancer stages 0 to 4, aged 18+ who spoke English and sought care from outpatient naturopathic doctor clinics were enrolled in an observational study of clinical and quality of life outcomes. Women who sought NO care 2 or more times within the first 2 years postdiagnosis were identified as NO cases. A matched comparison group of breast cancer patients were identified using the Western Washington Cancer Surveillance System(CSS). Methods: A longitudinal cohort design. In addition to self-report data, the CSS provided data on demographics, stage at the time of diagnosis, and initial treatment. Oncology medical records were abstracted in order to provide additional information on standard oncologic treatment for all participants. Results: Cohorts were well matched with regard to demographic, histologic, and prognostic indicators at the time of diagnosis. Approximately 70% of women in both cohorts received standard oncologic care that met the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. There were no statistically significant differences between the cohorts in treatment received. Fewer women in the NO cohort with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancer appear to have received antiestrogen therapy. Conclusions: Women in both cohorts appear to receive guideline-concordant care. However, women who receive adjunctive NO care may be less likely to receive antiestrogen therapy.
Delayed Subclavian Artery Aneurysm Following Fixation of a Clavicular Fracture
Authors: Pallett Scott John Charles , Singh Isabelle , Rady Neveen , Goshai Hemprakesh
Published: April 2018

Aneurysms of the subclavian artery are rare phenomena that have the potential for limb and life-threatening complications. Delayed diagnosis increases the risk of life-threatening complications or at the very least may result in a detrimental effect to both functional capacity and quality of life; primary care offers a vital opportunity to screen for such rare vascular complications and should be a consideration in all patients with evolving peripheral nerve or vascular symptoms with a history of localized clavicular trauma. We present the case of a left subclavian artery aneurysm with radial artery thrombotic sequelae following an injury and screw–plate fixation of his left clavicle. This required a 2-stage surgical approach to treatment and provides useful learning considerations for identifying rare vascular anomalies early in a primary care setting.
A correlation-based binary particle swarm optimization method for feature selection in human activity recognition
Authors: Wang Huaijun , Ke Ruomeng , Li Junhuai , An Yang , Wang Kan , Yu Lei
Published: April 2018

Effective feature selection determines the efficiency and accuracy of a learning process, which is essential in human activity recognition. In existing works, for simplification purposes, feature selection algorithms are mostly based on the assumption of feature independence. However, in some scenarios, the optimization method based on this independence hypothesis results in poor recognition performance. This article proposes a correlation-based binary particle swarm optimization method for feature selection in human activity recognition. In the proposed algorithm, the particle swarm optimization algorithm is no longer used as a black box. Meanwhile, correlation coefficients among the features are added to binary particle swarm optimization as a feature correlation factor to determine the position of particles, so that the feature with more information is more likely to be selected. The k-nearest neighbor classifier is then used as the fitness function in the particle swarm optimization to evaluate the performance of the feature subset, that is, feature combination with the highest k-nearest neighbor classifier recognition rate would be picked as the eigenvector. Experimental results show that the proposed method can work well with six classifiers, namely, J48, random forest, k-nearest neighbor, multilayer perceptron, naïve Bayesian, and support vector machine, and the new algorithm can improve the classification accuracy in the OPPORTUNITY Activity Recognition dataset.
The Hippocratic Method of Surgical Cauterization for the Tumescence Spleen in the Rare “Spetses Syndrome”
Authors: Tsoucalas Gregory , Markatos Konstantinos , Karamanou Marianna
Published: April 2018

Spleen in antiquity was considered by the Hippocratic medicine as a viscerous organ of spongy character, which could clear human body of the black bile. According to the Hippocratic doctrine of the 4 humors, black bile could cause a series of diseases. Both the anatomical position and shape of the spleen were also recognized. In the case of a splenic hardening, with simultaneous augmentation of its dimensions and dermal ulceration and/or splenic abscess, some interventions were proposed. Thus, herbal medicine, phlebotomy, and minimal surgery with local cauterization were applied for treatment, to confront a disease that was considered serious but not fatal. The Hippocratic physicians encountered various spleen diseases and among them they most probably confronted a rare splenic pathological entity, named centuries later as “Spetses syndrome,” a rare type of thalassemia of the Spetses island of Saronikos Gulf. Although the approach seems in modern terms rather primitive, the ancient Greek medico-philosophers most likely understood the significance of the spleen.
Sodium Valproate Inhibits Small Cell Lung Cancer Tumor Growth on the Chicken Embryo Chorioallantoic Membrane and Reduces the p53 and EZH2 Expression
Authors: Šlekienė Lina , Stakišaitis Donatas , Balnytė Ingrida , Valančiūtė Angelija
Published: April 2018

The study aims to test the effect of different sodium valproate (NaVP) doses on small cell lung cancer NCI-H146 cells tumor in chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Xenografts were investigated in the following groups: nontreated control and 5 groups treated with different NaVP doses (2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 mmol/L). Invasion of tumors into CAM in the nontreated group reached 76%. Tumors treated with 8 mmol/L NaVP doses significantly differed in tumor invasion frequency from the control and those treated with 2 mmol/L ( P < .01). The calculated probability of 50% tumor noninvasion into CAM was when tumors were treated with 4 mmol/L of NaVP. Number of p53-positive cells in tumors was significantly reduced when treated with NaVP doses from 3 to 8 mmol/L as compared with control; number of EZH2-positive cells in control significantly differed from all NaVP-treated groups. No differences in p53- and EZH2-positive cell numbers were found among 4, 6, and 8 mmol/L NaVP-treated groups. Invaded tumors had an increased N-cadherin and reduced E-cadherin expression. The results indicate the increasing NaVP dose to be able to inhibit tumors progression. Expression of p53 and EZH2 may be promising target markers of therapeutic efficacy evaluation.
Toward a Lifestyle Medicine Approach to Illness Anxiety Disorder (Formerly Hypochondriasis)
Authors: Chappell Amy S.
Published: April 2018

Lifestyle medicine may be the most effective way of treating illness anxiety disorder (IAD), formerly hypochondriasis. IAD as defined in the DSM-5 can now be diagnosed using positive symptoms, which means it is no longer a diagnosis of exclusion. Tools used in lifestyle medicine including motivational interviewing and mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) may be particularly useful in the management of IAD.
Creating an Interprofessional Network in Lifestyle Medicine: The Journey of the Canadian Academy of Lifestyle Medicine
Authors: Sibbald Shannon L. , Brown Rebecca , Schmidt Larry
Published: April 2018

Canada’s population is increasing, and aging. These demographic patterns are accompanied by a growing awareness and evidence base of the benefits to society of leading a healthy and active life. The Canadian Academy of Lifestyle Medicine (CALM) was created to fill a knowledge gap in the Canadian public: how to lead a healthier and more active life. CALM aimed to address these challenges by confronting the lack of assistance modern medicine provides. As a diverse collaborative network using a lifestyle medicine philosophy, CALM’s objective was to generate discussions and examine lifestyle medicine approaches to improving overall health and well-being for Canadians. CALM aimed to engage patients whose access to health care is through a physician and provide an innovative platform to support care and healthy decision making. Despite perceived widespread support, intense planning, and extensive development, CALM was slow to gain traction and realize its full potential. This article describes the experiences and lessons learned in creating CALM from the perspective of the leadership team. Although most CALM activities have ceased, virtual space and social media remain active so too does the work of the leadership team, striving to enable Canadians to develop behaviors that will improve their lifestyle, and their overall well-being.
A Real-World Application of Short Mindfulness-Based Practices: A Review and Reflection of the Literature and a Practical Proposition for an Effortless Mindful Lifestyle
Authors: Mantzios Michail , Giannou Kyriaki
Published: April 2018

Mindfulness has become known to the Western world through mindfulness programs that entail different formal and informal mindfulness practices. To enable initiation and commitment to a practice of mindfulness and to enhance the intrinsic motivation to follow and commit to a more demanding mindfulness program and facilitate a lifestyle adaptation, we argue that associating 1 short, accessible, and easy to use mindfulness practice with implementation intentions and habit formation may be the best way forward for novices in meditation and mindfulness. We trust that other theories and findings from psychological science can enhance and enable a mindful lifestyle, which will strengthen the capacity to upkeep optimal living and being.
The combined use of an aspiration catheter and balloon angioplasty for acute atherosclerotic occlusion of the middle cerebral artery
Authors: Oshikata Shogo , Harada Kei , Fujimura Haruto , Fukuyama Kozo
Published: April 2018

Stent-retriever thrombectomy for atherosclerotic acute occlusion of cerebral arteries is difficult. We experienced three patients with middle cerebral artery atherosclerotic occlusion who achieved successful recanalization with the combined use of aspiration thrombectomy devices and cerebral angioplasty balloons. The combination is feasible in terms of smooth delivery of the balloon catheter.
Accurate calculation of aerodynamic coefficients of parafoil airdrop system based on computational fluid dynamic
Authors: Wu Wannan , Sun Qinglin , Luo Shuzhen , Sun Mingwei , Chen Zengqiang , Sun Hao
Published: April 2018

Accurate calculation of canopy aerodynamic parameters is a prerequisite for precise modeling of a parafoil airdrop system. This investigation analyses the aerodynamic performance of the canopy in airdrop testing combining the leading-edge incision and the trailing-edge deflection. Aerodynamic parameters of the canopy are obtained using the computational fluid dynamic simulations, and then, the output data are used to estimate the deflection and incision factors. The estimated lift and drag coefficients instead of the traditional parameters based on lifting-line theory are incorporated into the eight degrees of freedom dynamic model of an airdrop system and make some simulations. The effectiveness of the proposed method for calculating aerodynamic coefficients is verified by actual airdrop testing.
A review of epidemiological research on stroke and dementia and exposure to air pollution
Authors: Béjot Yannick , Reis Jacques , Giroud Maurice , Feigin Valery
Published: April 2018

Background

Outdoor air pollution is now a well-known risk factor for morbidity and mortality, and is increasingly being identified as a major risk factor for stroke.

Methods

A narrative literature review of the effects of short and long-term exposure to air pollution on stroke and dementia risk and cognitive functioning.

Results

Ten papers on stroke and 17 on dementia were selected. Air pollution, and in particular small particulate matter, contributes to about one-third of the global stroke burden and about one-fifth of the global burden of dementia. It particularly affects vulnerable patients with other vascular risk factors or a prior history of stroke in low- and medium-income countries. New pathophysiological mechanisms of the cause-effect associations are suggested.

Conclusion

Air pollution should be considered as a new modifiable cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative risk factor. This massive worldwide public health problem requires environmental health policies able to reduce air pollution and thus the stroke and dementia burden.
Improvements to the convection scheme in the vortex particle method using a semi-Lagrangian method
Authors: Degawa Tomohiro , Uchiyama Tomomi
Published: April 2018

This study focuses on the convection scheme in the vortex particle method. The usual two-step convection procedure for vortex elements, which comprises the convection of vortex elements on each grid point and redistribution of vorticity into each grid point, is extremely difficult to parallelize because of unavoidable memory-write conflictions in the redistribution step, thereby limiting the computational speed. We apply a semi-Lagrangian method called the cubic semi-Lagrangian method, as the convection scheme in the vortex particle method to improve space–time accuracy and accelerate computations. Two test problems, namely the Taylor–Green vortex and double shear flow, are simulated using the semi-Lagrangian vortex particle method proposed in this study to confirm its suitability. The results show that the accuracy of capturing standing vortices and the total amount of kinetic energy conservation are significantly improved. The performance measurements show that the average execution time for the convection of vortex elements is reduced to one-half, thus verifying the semi-Lagrangian method as a suitable convection scheme for the vortex particle method.
Small is beautiful? The salience of scale and power to three European cultures of TV production
Authors: McElroy Ruth , Nielsen Jakob Isak , Noonan Caitriona
Published: April 2018

As television production becomes increasingly global, television studies must advance its understanding of how the global and the local intersect and impact upon the cultures of production. Drawing on original comparative research of three small European nations – Denmark, Ireland and Wales – this article offers empirical insights into the distinct challenges and opportunities for non-Anglophone producers and public service broadcasters (PSBs). The concept of small nations is employed critically to reveal how distinctions of scale and power make a tangible difference to how television is produced and distributed, and to how smaller, national PSBs are trying to secure a sustainable future.
Producing the on-air schedule in Danish public service television in the digital era
Authors: Bruun Hanne
Published: April 2018

This article presents results from a production study on how the on-air schedule is changing in the digital era at the Danish public service broadcaster, TV 2. TV 2’s multichannel and increasingly non-linear television portfolio has a profound impact on the production practices involved in order to meet the public service obligations. The analysis shows that the producers develop new ways to secure an audience of scale under these conditions. So far three lessons are learned: First, the workflow of promoting content and the demands on the qualities of the promotional material have changed. Second, an understanding of the interplay between flow and subscribtion-video-on-demand (SVOD) scheduling is emerging. And third, a renewed focus is put on branding the viewer–provider relationship. The article concludes that the production of on-air scheduling makes the contours of what can be termed ‘a third television paradigm’ visible in which a distinction between linear and non-linear television does not apply.
Teach First organisational discourse: What are Teach First teachers really being trained for?
Authors: Elliott Jenny
Published: April 2018

This article considers the networked nature of Teach First in order to illustrate the different business, philanthropic and educational agents that have a vested interest in the organisation. It also reflects on Teach First’s strategic positioning within the initial teacher education landscape in order to attract high-calibre graduates into the teaching profession, and goes on to explore Teach First’s institutional discourse and the ways in which this serves to shape the Teach First teachers’ understandings of themselves, teaching and their potential career prospects after their two-year commitment on the Teach First programme. An understanding of the Teach First institutional discourse is gained through an analysis of data gathered from Teach First documentation and interviews with people working at different levels within the organisation. Critical discourse analysis is used to understand the ways in which this institutional discourse serves to provide a particular ideological positioning for Teach First and its teachers. It argues that such a positioning encourages them to take with them a neo-liberal understanding of ways of working into influential positions within the wider network invested in Teach First.
The Challenges of Assessing the Effectiveness of Biodiversity-Related Development Aid
Authors: Stepping Katharina M. K. , Meijer Karen S.
Published: April 2018

Official Development Assistance is a major funding source for biodiversity conservation in developing countries, and it is therefore important to understand the effectiveness of biodiversity aid. However, three challenges hamper the analysis of how effectively biodiversity-related development aid (biodiversity aid) contributes to the conservation of biodiversity and its sustainable use. First, few indicators measure biodiversity aspects at country level in a consistent and comparable way. Second, biodiversity aid reporting methods do not reveal the exact funding amount for projects’ biodiversity component. Third, changes in biodiversity status are empirically and conceptually difficult to attribute to aid activities. Based on a theoretical elaboration of these challenges, we argue that for a better assessment of how biodiversity aid contributes to conserving biodiversity and to reducing biodiversity loss, three improvements are required: a more frequent and more consistent assessment of the biodiversity status across countries, more exact quantification of biodiversity aid, and a more detailed understanding about biodiversity loss and the role biodiversity aid plays. These improvements will allow for more reliable aid-effectiveness analyses, which will, in turn, enable better informed aid-allocation decisions to be made.
Systems Thinking Among Enrollees in a Principal Preparation Program
Authors: Shaked Haim , Schechter Chen
Published: April 2018

Principal preparation programs are criticized for failing to produce school leaders who can successfully face the growing complexity of today’s educational leadership. Inasmuch as the literature highlighted systems thinking as beneficial for complex situations, this study aimed to explore how preservice principals, enrolled in a systems thinking course as part of their principal preparation program, would identify practical opportunities to apply systems thinking principles in school leadership. Findings showed that preservice principals considered the characteristic of leading wholes as helpful for instructional leadership (curriculum and community) and the characteristic of adopting a multidimensional view as useful for interpersonal relationships and decision making. Implications and further research are discussed.
Efficacy of gamification-based smartphone application for weight loss in overweight and obese adolescents: study protocol for a phase II randomized controlled trial
Authors: Timpel Patrick , Cesena Fernando Henpin Yue , da Silva Costa Christiane , Soldatelli Matheus Dorigatti , Gois Emanuel , Castrillon Eduardo , Díaz Lina Johana Jaime , Repetto Gabriela M. , Hagos Fanah , Castillo Yermenos Raul E. , Pacheco-Barrios Kevin , Musallam Wafaa , Braid Zilda , Khidir Nesreen , Romo Guardado Marcela , Roepke Roberta Muriel Longo
Published: April 2018

Background:

Overweight and obesity are significant public health concerns that are prevalent in younger age cohorts. Preventive or therapeutic interventions are difficult to implement and maintain over time. On the other hand, the majority of adolescents in the United States have a smartphone, representing a huge potential for innovative digitized interventions, such as weight loss programs delivered via smartphone applications. Although the number of available smartphone applications is increasing, evidence for their effectiveness in weight loss is insufficient. Therefore, the proposed study aims to assess the efficacy of a gamification-based smartphone application for weight loss in overweight and obese adolescents. The trial is designed to be a phase II, single-centre, two-arm, triple-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a duration of 6 months.

Method:

The intervention consists of a smartphone application that provides both tracking and gamification elements, while the control arm consists of an identically designed application solely with tracking features of health information. The proposed trial will be conducted in an urban primary care clinic of an academic centre in the United States of America, with expertise in the management of overweight and obese adolescents. Eligible adolescents will be followed for 6 months. Changes in body mass index z score from baseline to 6 months will be the primary outcome. Secondary objectives will explore the effects of the gamification-based application on adherence, as well as anthropometric, metabolic and behavioural changes. A required sample size of 108 participants (54 participants per group) was calculated.

Discussion:

The benefits of the proposed study include mid-term effects in weight reduction for overweight and obese adolescents. The current proposal will contribute to fill a gap in the literature on the mid-term effects of gamification-based interventions to control weight in adolescents. This trial is a well-designed RCT that is in line with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement.
Empowerment or alienation: Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers’ perception of mobile media in constructing their social role and facilitating parenting practices in the US
Authors: Lee Yoon-Joo , Chen Huan
Published: April 2018

Previous studies have investigated how Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers adjust to life in the US in order to understand their lives and help them to adapt to the new culture. Based on acculturation and mobile media theories, this study explores particularly how Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers’ child-rearing practices in the US are mediated by mobile media. Guided by the theoretical framework of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), we conducted 16 in-depth interviews with Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers. Findings reveal that while going through the acculturation process, Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers attempt to play the traditional social role of mother as defined in their home countries when utilizing mobile media in their new home. Mobile media have symbolic meanings of empowerment and can be used as tools to deal with prejudice in the host country. This study also suggests that mobile media may mediate Chinese and Korean immigrant mothers’ acculturation processes when adopting different types of acculturation strategies (e.g., integration or separation). Implications for practice and future studies are further discussed.
Novel computer-based testing shows multi-domain cognitive dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Smith Andrew D , Duffy Charles , Goodman Andrew D
Published: April 2018

Background

Although cognitive dysfunction is a leading cause of disability and poor quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), it is infrequently tested in routine clinical evaluation. Development of a cognitive testing paradigm that captured MS-related cognitive dysfunction and could be obtained in a routine clinical setting may increase surveillance and recognition of cognitive dysfunction.

Objectives

This was a pilot study to determine if Cognivue could find cognitive performance differences between patients with MS and healthy controls (HC). Methods: A total of 24 patients with MS and 12 HCs between 18 and 50 years old were enrolled. Baseline testing included an Expanded Disability Scale (EDSS), paced auditory serial additions test (PASAT), symbol digit modalities test (SDMT) and Cognivue. Subjects then had repeat testing every 1–2 months for a maximum of three tests.

Results

Significant differences were found between MS and HC on SDMT, PASAT, and Cognivue Total score. Most Cognivue subtests showed significant differences between MS and HC. Cognivue scores correlated with both SDMT and PASAT and had high test-retest reliability in HCs.

Conclusion

Cognivue was able to detect multi-domain cognitive dysfunction in MS. Further studies to determine validity of Cognivue in MS with comparison with neuropsychological testing and sensitivity to clinical change are still needed.
A randomised, controlled clinical trial of narrowband UVB phototherapy for clinically isolated syndrome: The PhoCIS study
Authors: Hart Prue H , Jones Anderson P , Trend Stephanie , Cha Lilian , Fabis-Pedrini Marzena J , Cooper Matthew N , d’Este Catherine , Geldenhuys Sian , Carroll William M , Byrne Scott N , Booth David R , Cole Judith M , Lucas Robyn M , Kermode Allan G
Published: April 2018

Background

The natural history of multiple sclerosis (MS) typically presents with the clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), an episode of neurological symptoms caused by central nervous system inflammation or demyelination that does not fulfil the diagnostic criteria for MS.

Objective

As preclinical studies have suggested that exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) could regulate the development of MS, the Phototherapy for CIS (PhoCIS trial) was established to examine the effects of narrowband UVB phototherapy on patients with CIS, and their conversion to MS.

Methods

Of the 20 participants, half received 24 sessions of narrowband UVB exposure over eight weeks; participants in both arms were followed for 12 months. All participants were supplemented to 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels of >80 nmol/l.

Results

By 12 months, 100% of those in the no phototherapy arm and 70% in the phototherapy arm had converted to MS, although this difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

This study provides a basis for further studies to determine if there are any benefits of the therapeutic effects of narrowband UVB radiation on MS progression.
Big Data, Method and the Ethics of Location: A Case Study of a Hookup App for Men Who Have Sex with Men
Authors: Light Ben , Mitchell Peta , Wikström Patrik
Published: April 2018

With the rise of geo-social media, location is emerging as a particularly sensitive data point for big data and digital media research. To explore this area, we reflect on our ethics for a study in which we analyze data generated via an app that facilitates public sex among men who have sex with men. The ethical sensitivities around location are further heightened in the context of research into such digital sexual cultures. Public sexual cultures involving men who have sex with men operate both in spaces “meant” for public sex (e.g., gay saunas and dark rooms) and spaces “not meant” for public sex (e.g., shopping centers and public toilets). The app in question facilitates this activity. We developed a web scraper that carefully collected selected data from the app and that data were then analyzed to help identify ethical issues. We used a mixture of content analysis using Python scripts, geovisualisation software and manual qualitative coding techniques. Our findings, which are methodological rather than theoretical in nature, center on the ethics associated with generating, processing, presenting, archiving and deleting big data in a context where harassment, imprisonment, physical harm and even death occur. We find a tension in normal standards of ethical conduct where humans are involved in research. We found that location came to the fore as a key—though not the only—actor requiring attention when considering ethics in a big data context.