bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Telemedicine Improves Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Adherence in Stroke Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a Randomized Trial
Authors: Nilius Georg , Schroeder Maik , Domanski Ulrike , Tietze Adam , Schäfer Thorsten , Franke Karl-Josef
Published: August 2019

Background: The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is very high in stroke patients, whereas the acceptance of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is low. Although telemedicine offers new options to increase acceptance, effective concepts and patient groups are not yet known. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a telemedicine concept consisting of telemonitoring and support when usage time drops. Methods: PAP naive stroke patients with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >15 were randomized in a prospective parallel design comparing home therapy with standard care (SC) as opposed to telemedicine care (TC) over a period of 6 months. The TC group received a standardized phone call to offer help and advice if the average weekly usage of PAP fell below 4 h/night. Results: Eighty patients were included, 5 were lost to follow-up, 75 (20 females, age: 57.0 ± 9.9, body mass index: 30.9 ± 6.0 kg/m2, AHI: 39.4 ± 18.6) were evaluated. While inpatient usage was similar in both groups, a significant difference was identified after 6 months of receiving home therapy (TC: 4.4 ± 2.5 h, SC: 2.1 ± 2.2 h; p < 0.000063). On average, 4.7 ± 3.1 interventional phone calls were needed (173 calls in total, ranging from 0 to 10 calls per patient), primarily for the purpose of motivation (61.3%), mask problems (16.2%), nasopharyngeal complaints or humidification issues (11.2%), and technical questions (10.6%). Sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS]) differed significantly (TC: 3.7 + 3.2, SC: 6.1 + 4.1; p = 0.008), as well as systolic blood pressure, which was available in a subgroup of 55 patients (TC: 129.5 + 15.2 mm Hg, SC: 138.8 + 16.1 mm Hg; p = 0.034). Conclusion: A concept of telemonitoring and short telephone calls from the sleep lab raised PAP therapy adherence significantly in a group of stroke patients with moderate to severe OSA.
Real-World Data on Topical Therapies and Annual Health Resource Utilization in Hospitalized Swiss Patients with Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Baehler Caroline , Brüngger Beat , Blozik Eva , Vavricka Stephan R. , Schoepfer Alain M.
Published: August 2019

Objectives: Topical treatment with aminosalicylates and/or budesonide was shown to be highly effective in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), while reducing the likelihood of systemic adverse effects. However, previous research has shown that topical treatment is clearly underused. We aimed to evaluate the use of topical therapy in the real-world setting. Methods: This is an observational study based on claims data of 201 Swiss adult patients who were hospitalized for UC between 2012 and 2014 and who were then followed for 1 year. A variety of factors presumably associated with topical treatment were examined. Annual health care utilization (UC-related medications, diagnostic procedures, consultations, and rehospitalizations) of patients with versus without topical therapy was compared. Results: Of the 201 hospitalized UC patients, 82 (40.8%) were treated with topical 5-acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and/or topical rectal steroids. The main factors significantly and positively associated with receiving topical treatment were the use of topical treatment in the year prior to the hospitalization, receiving oral 5-ASA, and living in an urban area. The mode of administration was further related to the language area. Patients with topical therapy significantly more often received other UC-related medications, such as combinations with systemic steroids. They significantly more often underwent colonoscopies and calprotectin measurements, and more often consulted a gastroenterologist in the follow-up, while there was no significant difference regarding rehospitalizations. Conclusions: Topical treatment is underused in patients with UC, which stands in contrast to the current European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization guidelines. Patients’ preferences and considerations need to be taken into account when prescribing medical therapy.
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Left Ventricular Mechanical Uniformity Alterations for Risk Assessment After Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Stiermaier Thomas , Backhaus Sören J. , Lange Torben , Koschalka Alexander , Navarra Jenny‐Lou , Boom Patricia , Lamata Pablo , Kowallick Johannes T. , Lotz Joachim , Gutberlet Matthias , de Waha‐Thiele Suzanne , Desch Steffen , Hasenfuß Gerd , Thiele Holger , Eitel Ingo , Schuster Andreas
Published: August 2019

Background

Despite limitations as a stand‐alone parameter, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction is the preferred measure of myocardial function and marker for postinfarction risk stratification.
LV
myocardial uniformity alterations may provide superior prognostic information after acute myocardial infarction, which was the subject of this study.

Methods and Results

Consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction (n=1082; median age: 63 years; 75% male) undergoing cardiac magnetic resonance at a median of 3 days after infarction were included in this multicenter observational study. Circumferential and radial uniformity ratio estimates were derived from cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking as markers of mechanical uniformity alterations (values between 0 and 1 with 1 reflecting perfect uniformity). The clinical end point was the 12‐month rate of major adverse cardiac events, consisting of all‐cause death, reinfarction, and new congestive heart failure. Patients with major adverse cardiac events (n=73) had significantly impaired circumferential uniformity ratio estimates (0.76 [interquartile range: 0.67–0.86] versus 0.84 [interquartile range: 0.76–0.89];
P
<0.001) and radial uniformity ratio estimates (0.69 [interquartile range: 0.60–0.79] versus 0.76 [interquartile range: 0.67–0.83];
P
<0.001) compared with patients without events. Although uniformity estimates did not provide independent prognostic information in the overall cohort, a circumferential uniformity ratio estimate below the median of 0.84 emerged as an independent predictor of outcome in postinfarction patients with LV ejection fraction >35% (n=959), even after adjustment for established risk factors (hazard ratio: 1.99; 95% CI, 1.06–3.74;
P
=0.033 in multivariable Cox regression analysis). In contrast, LV ejection fraction was not associated with adverse events in this subgroup of patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Conclusions

Cardiac magnetic resonance–derived estimates of mechanical uniformity alterations are novel markers for risk assessment after acute myocardial infarction, and the circumferential uniformity ratio estimate provides independent prognostic information for patients with preserved or only moderately reduced LV ejection fraction.
Planning for a War in Paradise: The 1966 Honolulu Conference and the Shape of the Vietnam War
Authors: Daddis Gregory A.
Published: August 2019

This article explores the impact of one of the key non-military events in the U.S. war in Vietnam, at least in the crucial years from 1964 to 1968. During a two-day U.S.–South Vietnamese conference held in Honolulu in early 1966, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara and Secretary of State Dean Rusk laid out a series of overarching strategic objectives, both military and political, that shaped the allied war effort through the 1968 Tet offensive, and even beyond. The goals outlined at the summit remained the touchstone of U.S. military strategy until they were superseded in 1969 by a policy of “Vietnamization” under the Nixon administration. These political-military objectives, however, suggested a fundamental problem with the U.S. approach to Vietnam, based as it was on a dangerous mixture of naïveté and idealism stemming from faulty assumptions about the efficacy of U.S. power abroad during the Cold War.
U.S. Perceptions of the Communist Threat in Iran during the Mossadegh Era
Authors: Gasiorowski Mark J.
Published: August 2019

Most studies of the coup d’état in Iran in August 1953—a coup backed by U.S. and British intelligence agencies—attribute it at least partly to U.S. concerns about the threat of a Communist takeover in Iran. This article examines the evidence available to U.S. officials about the nature of the Communist threat in Iran prior to the coup, in the form of reports, analyses, and policy papers written on this subject at the time by U.S. officials. The documentation reveals that U.S. policymakers did not have compelling evidence that the threat of a Communist takeover was increasing substantially in the months before the coup. Rather, the Eisenhower administration interpreted the available evidence in a more alarming manner than the Truman administration had. The coup the administration undertook in response was therefore premature, at best.
Cave hominem
Authors: McGrath Sean E.
Published: August 2019

This article explores two episodes from Pseudo-Oppian’s Cynegetica which both feature domestic animals: the horse in 1.239-270 and the dog in 4.354-376. Both of these episodes are highly intertextual, alluding to, respectively, Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus and the abduction narratives from Moschus’ Europa and the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. I argue that the poet of the Cynegetica invites his readers to reflect on the potentially problematic nature of the power dynamic for these animals through sophisticated allusions to the poetic tradition, through which the relationship between man and animal is compared to that between the gods and humans.
Einige Paschto-Etymologien
Authors: Kreidl Julian
Published: August 2019

Although our knowledge of Pashto etymology has greatly increased in the last century, most notably due to George Morgenstierne’s “A (New) Etymological Vocabulary of Pashto” (1927, 2nd and improved edition 2003), the origin of many Pashto words remained unknown so far. The present paper discusses eight further Pashto etymologies. Four of these are inherited from Proto-Iranian, two are Indo-Aryan, one is of mixed origin, and one is originally Arabic. Discussing the hail word in Pashto, I also argue for the loan of the Bactrian cognate into Persian.
The Role of Central Asia in the “One Belt—One Road” Initiative
Authors: Kokushkina Irina V. , Soloshcheva Maria A.
Published: August 2019

The “New Silk Road” or “One Belt–One Road” (also “Belt and Road”) is a global project initiated by China, the implementation of which affects various areas of development of many states and regions of the world, including security issues, socio-cultural, political, diplomatic and civilisational aspects.

A total of 173 agreements with 125 states and 29 international organisations have been signed under this initiative. The project is gaining momentum every year and attracts ever more researchers who analyse the economic, political, and cultural sides of the project and the interaction of the different countries and regions with China within the framework of this global enterprise. This article assesses the participation of five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan) in the Chinese project and aims to define the mutual interests of the parties on the basis of economic indicators (i.e., ESI, RCA, TDC, and G-L indexes).
Introduction
Authors: Schönbaumsfeld Genia
Published: August 2019

This introduction provides an overview of the content of the papers published in the special issue on epistemic vice and forms of scepticism.
A Time-Varying Causality Formalism Based on the Liang–Kleeman Information Flow for Analyzing Directed Interactions in Nonstationary Climate Systems
Authors: Tawia Hagan Daniel Fiifi , Wang Guojie , San Liang X. , Dolman Han A. J.
Published: August 2019

The interaction between the land surface and the atmosphere is of significant importance in the climate system because it is a key driver of the exchanges of energy and water. Several important relations to heat waves, floods, and droughts exist that are based on the interaction of soil moisture and, for instance, air temperature and humidity. Our ability to separate the elements of this coupling, identify the exact locations where they are strongest, and quantify their strengths is, therefore, of paramount importance to their predictability. A recent rigorous causality formalism based on the Liang–Kleeman (LK) information flow theory has been shown, both theoretically and in real-world applications, to have the necessary asymmetry to infer the directionality and magnitude within geophysical interactions. However, the formalism assumes stationarity in time, whereas the interactions within the land surface and atmosphere are generally nonstationary; furthermore, it requires a sufficiently long time series to ensure statistical sufficiency. In this study, we remedy this difficulty by using the square root Kalman filter to estimate the causality based on the LK formalism to derive a time-varying form. Results show that the new formalism has similar properties compared to its time-invariant form. It is shown that it is also able to capture the time-varying causality structure within soil moisture–air temperature coupling. An advantage is that it does not require very long time series to make an accurate estimation. Applying a wavelet transform to the results also reveals the full range of temporal scales of the interactions.
Weakened Impact of the Developing El Niño on Tropical Indian Ocean Climate Variability under Global Warming
Authors: He Chao , Wang Yuhao , Li Tim
Published: August 2019

El Niño induces an anomalous easterly wind along the equator and a pair of anomalous anticyclones straddling the equator over the tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) during the autumn of its developing phase. Based on 30 coupled models participating in CMIP5, these atmospheric circulation anomalies over TIO are substantially weakened by about 12%–13% K−1 under global warming scenarios, associated with a weakened zonal gradient of the sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly. The mechanism for the response is investigated based on a hierarchy of model experiments. Based on stand-alone atmospheric model experiments under uniform and patterned mean-state SST warming, the atmospheric circulation anomaly over TIO during the autumn of the developing El Niño is also substantially weakened by about 8% K−1 even if the interannual variability of SST remains exactly unchanged, suggesting that the primary cause resides in the atmosphere rather than the SST anomaly. The tropospheric static stability is robustly enhanced under global warming, and experiments performed by a linear baroclinic model show that a much weaker atmospheric circulation anomaly over TIO is stimulated by an unchanged diabatic heating anomaly under a more stable atmosphere. The weakened atmospheric circulation anomaly due to enhanced static stability weakens the zonal gradient of the SST anomaly within TIO through local air–sea interaction, and it acts to further weaken the atmospheric circulation anomaly. The enhanced static stability of the troposphere is probably the primary cause and the air–sea interaction within TIO is a secondary cause for the weakened impact of the developing El Niño on atmospheric circulation variability over TIO.
Long-Term Retrievals of Cloud Type and Fair-Weather Shallow Cumulus Events at the ARM SGP Site
Authors: Sunny Lim Kyo-Sun , Riihimaki Laura D. , Shi Yan , Flynn Donna , Kleiss Jessica M. , Berg Larry K. , Gustafson William I. , Zhang Yunyan , Johnson Karen L.
Published: August 2019

A long-term climatology of classified cloud types has been generated for 13 years (1997–2009) over the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site for seven cloud categories: low clouds, congestus, deep convection, altocumulus, altostratus, cirrostratus/anvil, and cirrus. The classification was based on the cloud macrophysical quantities of cloud top, cloud base, and physical thickness of cloud layers, as measured by active sensors such as the millimeter-wavelength cloud radar (MMCR) and micropulse lidar (MPL). Climate variability of cloud characteristics has been examined using the 13-yr cloud-type retrieval. Low clouds and cirrus showed distinct diurnal and seasonal cycles. Total cloud occurrence followed the variation of low clouds, with a diurnal peak in early afternoon and a seasonal maximum in late winter. Additionally, further work has been done to identify fair-weather shallow cumulus (FWSC) events for 9 years (2000–08). Periods containing FWSC, a subcategory of clouds classified as low clouds, were produced using cloud fraction information from a total-sky imager and ceilometer. The identified FWSC periods in our study show good agreement with manually identified FWSC, missing only 6 cases out of 70 possible events during the spring to summer seasons (May–August).
Intermittency in Estuarine Turbulence: A Framework toward Limiting Bias in Microstructure Measurements
Authors: Huguenard Kimberly , Bears Kris , Lieberthal Brandon
Published: August 2019

Intermittent turbulence behavior has a number of implications for field sampling, namely, that if undersampled, it can result in over- or underestimates of turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) dissipation rates. Sampling thresholds and common distributions have previously been defined for oceanic environments, but estuaries remain relatively underrepresented. Utilizing vertical microstructure profilers is a robust way to directly measure TKE dissipation rates; however, microstructure sensors are delicate and conducting a limited number of profiles in a burst is desirable. In this work, a statistical framework is used to characterize intermittency in a partially mixed estuary. In particular, a multiple comparison test is proposed to evaluate the number of profiles required to sufficiently represent TKE dissipation averages. The technique is tested on a microstructure dataset from the Damariscotta River in Maine, which covers seasonal and fortnightly time scales. The Damariscotta River features a variety of bathymetric and channel complexities, which provide the opportunity to examine intermittency as it relates to different processes. Small-scale intermittency is prominent during stratified conditions in shallow locations as well as near channel-shoal morphology, channel bends, and constrictions.
Long-Term Measurement of Solar Irradiance above, within, and under Sea Ice in Polar Environments by Using Fiber Optic Spectrometry
Authors: Wang Hangzhou , Nan Liwen , Han Jiwan , Chen Ying , Huang Haocai
Published: August 2019

An irradiance profiling system was developed to obtain long-term autonomous measurements of solar irradiance above, within, and under sea ice in the Arctic. Two miniature spectrometers were adopted to sequentially sense light signals collected and transmitted by eight fiber probes deposited at different levels of the sea ice environment. Each spectrometer was aligned to each fiber probe by rotating the spectrometer to the desired angle by using a rotary spectrometer switching device. A small optical probe was developed that could be placed in an auger hole with a diameter of 5 cm and enable a high transmission rate for the light signal. The temperature dependence of the signal output was examined and evaluated over the entire operating temperature range from −50° to +30°C. A signal output correction model was proposed to correct temperature-induced biases in the system output; this was combined with the system spectral sensitivity correction to determine the absolute irradiance entering the system. The performance of the system was examined for two days during the ninth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition by deploying it in a 185-cm-thick ice pack in the Arctic and measuring the solar irradiance distribution at different levels. The spectral shape of the measured solar irradiance above the sea ice agreed well with that measured using other commercial oceanographic spectroradiometers. The measured optical properties of the sea ice were generally comparable to those of similar ice measured using other instruments.
Influences of Horizontal Grid Spacing and Microphysics on WRF Forecasts of Convective Morphology Evolution for Nocturnal MCSs in Weakly Forced Environments
Authors: Thielen Jonathan E. , Gallus William A.
Published: August 2019

Nocturnal mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) are important phenomena because of their contributions to warm-season precipitation and association with severe hazards. Past studies have shown that their morphology remains poorly forecast in current convection-allowing models operating at 3–4-km horizontal grid spacing. A total of 10 MCS cases occurring in weakly forced environments were simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model at 3- and 1-km horizontal grid spacings to investigate the impact of increased resolution on forecasts of convective morphology and its evolution. These simulations were conducted using four microphysics schemes to account for additional sensitivities to the microphysical parameterization. The observed and corresponding simulated systems were manually classified into detailed cellular and linear modes, and the overall morphology depiction and the forecast accuracy of each model configuration were evaluated. In agreement with past studies, WRF was found to underpredict the occurrence of linear modes and overpredict cellular modes at 3-km horizontal grid spacing with all microphysics schemes tested. When grid spacing was reduced to 1 km, the proportion of linear systems increased. However, the increase was insufficient to match observations throughout the evolution of the systems, and the accuracy scores showed no statistically significant improvement. This suggests that the additional linear modes may have occurred in the wrong subtypes, wrong systems, and/or at the wrong times. Accuracy scores were also shown to decrease with forecast length, with the primary decrease in score generally occurring during upscale growth in the early nocturnal period.
Early Versus Late New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Myocardial Infarction: Differences in Clinical Characteristics and Predictors
Authors: Shiyovich Arthur , Axelrod Michal , Gilutz Harel , Plakht Ygal
Published: August 2019

New-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) during acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has significant consequences but is often misdiagnosed. The aim of the study was to evaluate predictors of NOAF throughout different phases of AMI. Patients with AMI admitted to a tertiary medical center were analyzed. Exclusion criteria were preexisting AF, AMI onset ≥24 hours prior to admission, in-hospital death, significant valvular disease, and in-hospital coronary artery bypass graft. Study population were AMI without-NOAF, early-AF (AF terminated within 24 hours of admission), and late-AF (beyond the first 24 hours). Overall 5946 patients were included, age: 64.8 ±14.8 years; 30% women. The incidence of NOAF was 4.6%: 1.6% early-AF, and 3% late-AF. Patients with NOAF comprised greater rate of women, cardiovascular risk-factors burden, severe left ventricular-dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension, valvular disorders, and left atrial enlargement compared with patients without-NOAF. Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction and inferior-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were significantly more prevalent among early-AF group, while anterior-STEMI, in late-AF. The final multivariate models showed c-statistics of 0.73 and 0.76 for the prediction of new-onset early-AF and late-AF, respectively. In conclusion, there are different clinical predictors of early- versus late-NOAF. The study points out “high risk” AMI population for more meticulous heart rate monitoring for NOAF.
Evaluating a Pharmacy-Driven 72-Hour Antibiotic Monitoring Program Implemented in a Community Hospital
Authors: Patel Vishal , Doyen Shaina
Published: August 2019

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs commonly utilize infectious diseases pharmacists to guide appropriate utilization of broad-spectrum antimicrobials. Strategies should be developed to increase staff pharmacist’s participation in decreasing broad-spectrum antibiotic use. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a pharmacy-driven 72-hour antimicrobial stewardship initiative. Methods: A pharmacy-driven 72-hour antibiotic review policy was implemented at a community hospital. Targeted antibiotics included ertapenem, meropenem, and daptomycin. The hospital’s infectious diseases pharmacist provided policy education to staff pharmacists. All pharmacists provided prospective audit and feedback to physicians. Preimplementation and postimplementation data were collected through a retrospective chart review to analyze the impact of the initiative. Results: There were a total of 570 targeted antibiotic orders for review, of which 155 antibiotic orders met criteria for inclusion; 97 in the preimplementation group and 58 in the postimplementation group. Targeted antibiotic orders decreased postimplementation during the study period. Days of therapy per 1000 patient days decreased between the 2 groups, although this was statistically significant neither for the pooled targeted antibiotics nor for each individual antibiotic. There was a statistically significant increase in the number of appropriately prescribed targeted antibiotics from preimplementation compared to postimplementation (from 35% to 64%, P < .01). Pharmacist interventions documented for patients receiving the targeted antibiotics increased significantly during the intervention period ( P < .01). In addition, there was a total of $28 795.96 in cost avoidance based on the difference in antibiotic use between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Implementation of a pharmacy-driven 72-hour broad-spectrum antibiotic review in a large community-based hospital resulted in a reduction in utilization and hospital spending and a significant increase in appropriate use of targeted antibiotics, while also increasing pharmacist engagement with antimicrobial stewardship.
A Demonstration Project for the Utility of Kinect-Based Educational Games to Benefit Motor Skills of Children with ASD
Authors: Vukićević Sanja , Đorđević Mirjana , Glumbić Nenad , Bogdanović Zorica , Đurić Jovičić Milica
Published: August 2019

Motor disorders often accompany autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although they are not included in its diagnostic criteria. Slower motor development is evident in early childhood in this population, making early motor skills intervention advisable. As educational games and modern technology can represent new forms of treatment, this study evaluated four Kinect-based visuo-motor games called Fruits that were specially designed for this research. We sought to test whether children with ASD would show behavior changes during their game play and whether any effects would generalize to another game called Rackets. The study included 10 elementary school children with ASD, aged 9-13 years, who were divided into (a) an experimental group ( n = 5) who, in addition to standard treatment, played Fruits once a week for a 5-week period and Rackets both before and after the 5-week period and (b) a control group ( n = 5) who received only standard treatment during this period and also played Rackets before and after it. We found significant improvements in gross motor skills and successful generalization of acquired skills among children in the experimental group relative to the control group. The experimental group also showed an increase in positive emotions and a decrease in loss of attention while playing the games. These preliminary findings indicate a motor skill benefit for children with ASD who play Kinect-based educational games, but further research is needed to replicate and expand these findings with larger participant samples.
Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Estimated Burden of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Tennessee, 2013-2016
Authors: Brennan Julia , Wiedeman Caleb , Dunn John R. , Schaffner William , Jones Timothy F.
Published: August 2019

Objectives:

Between 2003 and 2013, the rate of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)—a postnatal drug withdrawal syndrome—in Tennessee increased approximately 10-fold. NAS surveillance is relatively new, and underestimation associated with surveillance has not been described. We compared data from the Tennessee NAS public health surveillance system (TNSS) with a second source of NAS data, hospital discharge data system (HDDS), and estimated the true number of infants with NAS using capture-recapture methods.

Methods:

We obtained NAS data on cases of NAS among Tennessee infants from TNSS and HDDS from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2016. We matched cases of NAS identified in TNSS to cases identified in HDDS. We estimated the true number of infants with NAS by using the Lincoln-Peterson estimator capture-recapture methodology.

Results:

During the study period, 4070 infants with NAS were reported to TNSS, and 5321 infants with NAS were identified in HDDS; 2757 were in both data sets. Using capture-recapture methods, the total estimated number of infants with NAS during the study period was 7855 (annual mean = 1972; estimated range = 1531-2427), which was 93% more than in TNSS and 48% more than in HDDS. Drugs used for the medication-assisted treatment of substance use disorder were the most commonly reported substances associated with NAS (n = 2389, 59%).

Conclusions:

TNSS underestimated the total burden of NAS based on the capture-recapture estimate. Case-based public health surveillance is important for monitoring the burden of and risk factors for NAS and helping guide public health interventions.
Novel textile moisture sensors based on multi-layered braiding constructions
Authors: Wendler Johannes , Maraite Daniel , Nocke Andreas , Cherif Chokri
Published: August 2019

Novel textile moisture sensors based on multi-layered braiding constructions offer attractive monitoring possibilities for many application fields of e-textiles (electronic textiles), especially for ambient air, which is the main focus of this work. In this paper the theoretical foundations and the production, as well as the procedural, mechanical and humidity tests on newly developed, textile-based sensors for moisture measurement are described. The sensor, which is based on a capacitive measurement principle, was tested in environments ranging from 22% to 94% relative humidity. Within this range, the electrical capacitance of the sensors changed up to 135% of the base capacitance, giving it a very high sensitivity.
Toward Transnational Communities of Practice: An Inquiry Into the Experiences of Transnational Academic Mobility
Authors: Guo Shibao , Lei Ling
Published: August 2019

Transnational mobility characterized by multiple and circular movement of people and their simultaneous interconnections across transnational borders pose challenges to the conception of a closed boundary of community of practice (CoP). This study aims to explore the changing dynamics of CoP in transnational space by examining experiences of transnational academic mobility and connectivity. Through a qualitative case study of internationally educated Chinese transnational academics, who maintained academic and professional connections with their host countries of doctoral studies, this article demonstrates the building of transnational CoPs through their sociocultural learning in transnational space. It underscores tensions, negotiation of power relations, identity trans/formation, and potentials for change in transnational social space. It overshadows the significance of physical boundaries in organizing work, learning, and identities. The study highlights conceptualization of transnational communities of practice for understanding the experiences and identities of transnational academics.
Problem Behaviors and Response to Reading Intervention for Upper Elementary Students With Reading Difficulties
Authors: Roberts Garrett J. , Vaughn Sharon , Roberts Greg , Miciak Jeremy
Published: August 2019

This study investigated the extent to which problem behaviors were factors associated with response to a year-long multicomponent reading intervention for fourth- and fifth-grade students with reading difficulties. Students scoring ≤85 standard score on the Test of Silent Reading Efficiency and Comprehension ( n = 108), a reading fluency and comprehension screener measure, were randomized to the researcher-provided treatment condition ( n = 55) or the business-as-usual comparison condition ( n = 53). Results indicated that problem behaviors were associated with lower reading comprehension outcomes. Findings also suggested that students with higher levels of overall problem behaviors and externalizing behaviors in the treatment condition outperformed similar students in the comparison condition on the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Test ( p < .05). Future research is needed on how to best identify, develop, and adapt effective interventions for students with reading difficulties and problem behaviors within school-wide response to intervention frameworks.
Special Education Personnel Absences in Inclusion-Oriented Schools: Implications for Building Effective Service Delivery Models
Authors: Suter Jesse C. , Giangreco Michael F. , Bruhl Susan A. D.
Published: August 2019

This study explored relationships between special education personnel absences and demographic, policy, and practice variables to identify potential actions that could increase access to qualified personnel and continuity of instruction. Findings from 51 inclusion-oriented schools indicated that special educators and special education paraprofessionals were absent 12 days per year on average. Special educator absences were correlated with variables amenable to action by school leaders including special educator school density (i.e., ratio of special educators in full-time equivalents to total school enrollment) and special services concentration (i.e., ratio of special educators to special education paraprofessionals in full-time equivalents). Special education paraprofessional absences were not correlated with these variables. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Employing a glutathione-s-transferase-tag and hyaluronidase to control cytokine retention and release from a hyaluronic acid hydrogel matrix
Authors: Harui Airi , Roth Micahel D
Published: August 2019

Thiolated hyaluronic acid can be combined with poly-(ethylene glycol)-diacrylate to generate a self-polymerizing hydrogel with potential applications as an injectable depot for targeted drug delivery. There is a specific need for formulations that can incorporate and control the delivery of protein-based biologics over time. In this investigation, the incorporation and release of recombinant human granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor and interleukin-4 from a commercial hyaluronic acid-based hydrogel was initially examined. The release profile was rapid; essentially complete within the first 4–24 h. However, addition of a glutathione-s-transferase-tag to these cytokines reduced their initial bolus release and extended the retention to more than three days. Hypothesizing a direct interaction of the glutathione-s-transferase-tag with poly-(ethylene glycol)-diacrylate, we observed a concentration-dependent slowing of cytokine release and prolonged retention as poly-(ethylene glycol)-diacrylate concentration was increased. Hyaluronidase was then added to promote a controlled degradation and independently modulate release rate and duration. The effects were concentration-dependent, resulting in a flexible hydrogel platform in which loading and release can be independently adjusted to meet a range of delivery needs. When injected in vivo, a localized cytokine reservoir was created and exhibited the same features as observed in vitro. These findings identify a tunable platform for the targeted local delivery and controlled release of protein-based biologics.
Teacher–Student Sexual Relationships: The Role of Age, Gender, and Multiple Victims on Incarceration and Registration Outcomes
Authors: Knoche Victoria A. , Russell Kristan N.
Published: August 2019

Minimal research has examined sentencing outcomes in teacher–student sexual abuse cases, while the research that has been conducted has primarily focused on gender and attractiveness. Furthermore, the body of literature examining how gender affects sentencing has contradictory findings. Age of the victim and number of victims may also play a role in sentencing outcomes. The current study aimed to better understand which factors (by examining how gender of the victim and defendant, age of the victim and defendant, and having multiple victims) are associated with sentencing outcomes in cases where teachers engage in inappropriate sexual relationships with students. The sentencing outcomes that were assessed include length of incarceration, likelihood of having to register as a sexual offender, and likelihood of being incarcerated. The current study reviewed 250 cases that were covered in the media between 2008 and 2010 that involved a defendant who was accused of sexual contact with a student whom they had contact with through their role as an educator or school staff member. Results indicate that defendant age, victim age, and whether there was one or multiple victims had significant implications for sentencing outcomes. An increase in victim age was associated with a decreased likelihood of incarceration, shorter incarceration lengths, and a decreased likelihood to be required to register as a sexual offender. An increase in defendant age was also associated with increased likelihood of incarceration. Furthermore, having multiple victims was associated with increased incarceration lengths. This study has implications for school policies and teacher training specific to building appropriate relationships and boundaries with students. Given the rise in reporting of sexual abuse cases between teachers and their students, implementing more comprehensive ethics training is paramount.
What Scope for Ethics in the Public Sphere? Principled Autonomy and the Antinomy of Practical Reason
Authors: Junker-Kenny Maureen
Published: August 2019

Concepts of ‘public reason’ vary according to the underlying understandings of theoretical and practical reason; they make a difference to what can be argued for in the public sphere as justified expectations to oneself and fellow-citizens. What is the significance for the scope of ethics when two neo-Kantian theorists of public reason, John Rawls and Jürgen Habermas, propose a reduced reading of the ‘antinomy’ highlighted in Kant’s analysis of practical reason? The desire for meaning, unrelinquishable for humans, is frustrated when moral initiatives are met with hostility. Kant resolves the antinomy between morality and happiness by invoking the concept of a creator God whose concern that our anticipatory moral actions should not fail encourages the hope on which human agency relies. Defining the scope of ethics by the unconditional character of reason ( Vernunft) rules out the minimisation of ethics to what can safely be expected to be delivered.
Computational fluid dynamics simulation of geared transmissions with injection lubrication
Authors: Liu H , Link F , Lohner T , Stahl K
Published: August 2019

In recent years, the computational fluid dynamics method has developed into very useful tools for investigating the oil flow and the no-load losses in geared transmissions. It has neither restriction on the housing shape nor limitations on the lubrication configuration. For this work, a computational fluid dynamics method model based on the finite volume method of a single-stage, injection-lubricated gearbox was built. The influence of different parameters including the injection volume, oil viscosity, and gear speed on the oil supply and distribution were investigated. The results also include a comparison of the simulated no-load losses with empirical no-load loss equations. This work provides first results on computational fluid dynamics method investigations of injection-lubricated geared transmissions and a starting point for comprehensive validation and more complex modeling.
Experimental studies of heat transfer and flow regimes during flow boiling of water and alumina nanofluids at different heat and mass fluxes
Authors: Sudheer S Venkata Sai , K Kiran Kumar , Balasubramanian Karthik
Published: August 2019

The flow boiling heat transfer in a vertical pipe of inner diameter 7.5 mm was investigated with pure water and Al2O3/water nanofluid as working fluids. The main heater section was made up of borosilicate glass for better visualization of flow regime. For this study, particle concentrations of 0.001%, 0.005% and 0.01% were considered. The influence of mass flux and heat flux, on flow boiling heat transfer was analysed. From the results, it is observed that boiling heat transfer coefficient is increasing with mass flux for both water and nanofluids. Use of nanofluid decreases wall superheat. The average reduction of wall superheat, as compared to water, at mass flux of 905.42 kg/s-m2 for 0.001%, 0.005% and 0.01% nanofluids is 10.8%, 21.34% and 26.79% respectively. It is also observed that heat transfer coefficient increases with particle concentration due to the changed heater surface characteristics and amendment in bubble formation mechanism. The average enhancement in heat transfer coefficient, as compared to water, for the particle concentrations of 0.001%, 0.005% and 0.01% at a mass flux of 905.42 kg/s-m2 is found to be 12.11%, 21.75% and 27.97%, respectively. Flow visualization study was also done to differentiate flow patterns of water and nanofluids. Churn flow regime was observed for water at moderate heat fluxes. However, in case of nanofluids, churn flow was not observed. The flow boiling heat transfer coefficient is observed to be high for the nanofluids compared to water. An effort has been made to explain the heat transfer mechanism, based on the existing flow boiling regime under the given conditions.
Optimal parametric mixing analysis of active and passive micromixers using Taguchi method
Authors: Shah Imran , Su Jeon Han , Ali Muhsin , Yang Doh Hoi , Choi Kyung-Hyun
Published: August 2019

Mixing of fluids flowing through channels and chambers is a crucial step in chemical and biochemical reactions inside microfluidic devices due to laminar flow because of small size channel and chamber dimensions. Mixing can be enhanced by passive or active mechanism which makes convection dominant over diffusion. To address this challenge, the study proposes three novel mixing designs: passive mixer, active mixer and a combination of active and passive mixing. These designs mixing performance has been studied by numerical simulation using COMSOL 5.3. According to the preliminary results of the study, pure active micromixer design has superior mixing ability. The mixing ability was proved by concentration line plots, concentration contours and videos. In order to further optimize the mixing index of the pure active micromixer, Taguchi method is applied against various input parametric values for micromixer such as frequency, voltage and velocity. The velocity is required for two fluids to flow, while frequency and voltages are for providing an external energy for active mixing. A total of nine cases were analyzed; the two best cases out of nine were selected for comparing mixing index line plots. The result of the study conclude that pure active micro-mixer at an optimal set of parameters, frequency of 10 Hz, velocity of 0.05 mm s–1 and voltage of 0.5 V achieved 99.6% mixing index at t = 0.2 s.
A Model of Customer Loyalty: An Empirical Study of Indian Retail Banking Customer
Authors: Kant Rishi , Jaiswal Deepak , Mishra Suyash
Published: August 2019

The present article proposes and tests an integrative model to examine the relationships among service quality (SQ), perceived value (PV), customer satisfaction (CS), corporate image (IMG) and customer loyalty (CL) in Indian retail banking context. The model is tested on the basis of data collected from 545 customers of Indian public sector banks (PSBs) using structural equation modeling (SEM) through path analysis. The finding exhibits that the present research model strongly predicts direct and/or indirect relationship of all constructs with CL phenomenon. However, the construct of PV was found to be insignificantly related to IMG in this integrative model. Moreover, the results also reveal that SQ exerts a strong influence on CS and CL; therefore, SQ is found as the most dominant construct in the model. The results of the model validate that SQ, PV, CS and IMG are the key antecedents of CL. Thus, integrative model of CL emerges as an ‘outcome’ in Indian context with special reference to selected PSBs.
Time-varying Correlation Between Indian Equity Market and Selected Asian and US Stock Markets
Authors: Seth Neha , Panda Laxmidhar
Published: August 2019

The purpose of this article is to examine the dynamic relationship between the Indian stock market and the selected Asian and US stock markets during the post-crisis period. This article uses univariate GARCH (Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroskedasticity) family models on daily observations from March 2009 to December 2015 to evaluate the volatility persistence and leverage effect on Asian developed (Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong) and emerging markets (India, China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan) along with the US stock market. AR (Autoregressive) ( 1 )-GARCH (1, 1)-ADCC (Asymmetric DCC) model is employed to find out the dynamic correlation between the Indian equity market and other selected stock markets. The results of the present study give evidence of the leverage effect in conditional volatility but not in conditional correlation, which implies that the rise in conditional volatility is more due to negative shocks than positive ones. On the other hand, dynamic conditional correlation (DCC) does not support any asymmetric effect for the time-varying correlation. The result of average conditional correlation shows the existence of higher diversification opportunities for Indian investors in Malaysian, Chinese and Japanese stock markets (having lower conditional correlation) than in Hong Kong, Indonesian and South Korean markets. The DCC fluctuates more in the cases of India with Singapore, Hong Kong and Indonesia over the sample period. It indicates that the stability of DCC is less reliable and the coefficient of correlation may not be used as a guide for portfolio decisions. But the cases of India with the USA, Japan and China show more stable conditional correlation coefficients. This article investigates the volatility persistence and time-varying relationship among Asian stock markets during the recent period, 2009–2015. The results of this article may be helpful in international portfolio planning and will contribute towards the literature on asymmetric time-varying relationships among Asian markets.