bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stacked, Mutually Rotated Diffraction Gratings as Enablers of Portable Visible Spectrometry
Authors: Scheeline Alexander , Anh Bùi Thư
Published: March 2016

Two-dimensional color CMOS cameras have become ubiquitous. They promise to support ubiquitous spectrometry. When raw illumination levels can be measured by such cameras, their use for spectrometry depends on using as many pixels as possible and on being able to calibrate images at point-of-use. Stacked, mutually rotated transmission diffraction gratings provide a means to generate multi-order, wide dynamic range dispersed visible spectra suitable for absorption, reflection, and fluorescence spectrometry. The theoretical basis for dispersion, resolution, and normalization of such spectra are derived, and initial characterization is reported.
Rapid Analysis of Copper Ore in Pre-Smelter Head Flow Slurry by Portable X-ray Fluorescence
Authors: Burnett Brandon J. , Lawrence Neil J. , Abourahma Jehad N. , Walker Edward B.
Published: March 2016

Copper laden ore is often concentrated using flotation. Before the head flow slurry can be smelted, it is important to know the concentration of copper and contaminants. The concentration of copper and other elements fluctuate significantly in the head flow, often requiring modification of the concentrations in the slurry prior to smelting. A rapid, real-time analytical method is needed to support on-site optimization of the smelter feedstock. A portable, handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer was utilized to determine the copper concentration in a head flow suspension at the slurry origin. The method requires only seconds and is reliable for copper concentrations of 2.0–25%, typically encountered in such slurries.
A Meta-Analysis of Factors Influencing the Development of Trust in Automation
Authors: Schaefer Kristin E. , Chen Jessie Y. C. , Szalma James L. , Hancock P. A.
Published: March 2016

Objective:

We used meta-analysis to assess research concerning human trust in automation to understand the foundation upon which future autonomous systems can be built.

Background:

Trust is increasingly important in the growing need for synergistic human–machine teaming. Thus, we expand on our previous meta-analytic foundation in the field of human–robot interaction to include all of automation interaction.

Method:

We used meta-analysis to assess trust in automation. Thirty studies provided 164 pairwise effect sizes, and 16 studies provided 63 correlational effect sizes.

Results:

The overall effect size of all factors on trust development was ḡ = +0.48, and the correlational effect was [Formula: see text]  = +0.34, each of which represented medium effects. Moderator effects were observed for the human-related ( ḡ  = +0.49; [Formula: see text] = +0.16) and automation-related ( ḡ = +0.53; [Formula: see text] = +0.41) factors. Moderator effects specific to environmental factors proved insufficient in number to calculate at this time.

Conclusion:

Findings provide a quantitative representation of factors influencing the development of trust in automation as well as identify additional areas of needed empirical research.

Application:

This work has important implications to the enhancement of current and future human–automation interaction, especially in high-risk or extreme performance environments.
What are the Consequences of Consociationalism for Sexual Minorities? An analysis of Liberal and Corporate Consociationalism and Sexual Minorities in Northern Ireland and Lebanon
Authors: Nagle John
Published: March 2016

Existing research on consociationalism largely debates whether or not it exacerbates ethnic cleavages. Yet, although power sharing in some circumstances can harden ethnonational identities, a correlative consequence may be to further marginalise groups outside the bounds of official inclusion. While an emerging corpus of literature looks at women and power sharing, little research has been done regarding the implications of power sharing for sexual minorities. I argue in this article that consociationalism does impact on sexual minorities in complex ways. To account for variations in types of consociationalism, I examine two divergent forms – liberal and corporate – that demonstrate differences in relation to sexual minorities. Thus, I compare sexual minorities within Northern Ireland’s liberal structure with those in Lebanon’s corporate form. I find that differences between liberal and corporate consociations generate important, albeit complicated, implications for sexual minorities.
Addicting via Hashtags
Authors: Dwyer Robyn , Fraser Suzanne
Published: March 2016

Persons, substances, bodies, consumption: an ever widening process of “addicting” is underway in Western societies. In this article, we turn our attention to the production of addiction on the microblogging social media platform, Twitter, as an important emerging site in which the addicting of contemporary societies is also occurring. Our analysis explores two questions. First, we investigate the ways in which addiction is enacted via Twitter. How is addiction being made on Twitter? Second, we ask how the technology of Twitter itself is shaping meaning: how do the technological “affordances” of Twitter help constitute the kinds of addiction being materialized? While we find a multiplicity of meanings in the 140-character messages, we also find a pattern: a tendency toward extremes—addiction riven between pain and pleasure. In addition, we find significant areas of commonality between approaches and notable silences around alternatives to common understandings of addiction. We argue that the constraints on communication imposed by Twitter technology afford a “shorthand” of addiction that is both revealing and productive. Illuminated is the importance of addiction as a piece of cultural shorthand that draws on and simultaneously reproduces simplistic, reductive addiction objects. In concluding, we consider what these realities of addiction being enacted through Twitter can tell us about contemporary conditions of possibility for drug use in society and for individual subjectivities and experiences.
South Asian immigration to Spain: Socio-demographic profile and territorial distribution, 2000–2014
Authors: Garha Nachatter Singh , Galeano Juan , Valls Andreu Domingo
Published: March 2016

The South Asian group, which includes people from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, is one of the oldest and least known immigrant groups in Spain. Because of its relatively small size (131,230 in 2014) very limited research work has been done about this community. Existing studies mainly focus on their economic participation while their socio-demographic characteristics remain unexplored. In this paper, we examine the evolution and demographic profile of their flow and stock during 2000–2014, their socio-economic characteristics and territorial distribution. The recent huge flow of young males has made this group more masculine and younger. Their low education level and lack of professional skills result in occupational segregation in a few sectors, which is contributing to their residential concentration in the big metropolitan areas of Spain. The economic crisis in Spain has halted further growth, but the continuation of family reunification process is consolidating their settlement in Spain.
Robustly resilient memory control for time-delay switched systems under asynchronous switching
Authors: Zong Guangdeng , Wang Qingzhi , Yang Yi
Published: March 2016

The robustly resilient memory control problem is addressed for a class of switched systems with time delay under asynchronous switching. By resorting to the piecewise Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional, an asynchronous memory controller is designed to ensure the exponential stability of the closed-loop system. Here, the piecewise Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional means that for the activated subsystem, the associated Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional on the unmatched interval is different from that on the matched interval. Then an asynchronously resilient memory controller is derived to guarantee that the corresponding closed-loop system is robustly exponentially stable for all the admissible uncertainties. All the conditions are cast into the form of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the validity of the proposed results.
Characteristics of Hospitalized Children With a Diagnosis of Malnutrition
Authors: Abdelhadi Ruba A. , Bouma Sandra , Bairdain Sigrid , Wolff Jodi , Legro Amanda , Plogsted Steve , Guenter Peggi , Resnick Helaine , Slaughter‐Acey Jaime C. , Corkins Mark R. ,   the ASPEN Malnutrition Committee
Published: March 2016

Introduction: Malnutrition is common in hospitalized patients in the United States. In 2010, 80,710 of 6,280,710 hospitalized children <17 years old had a coded diagnosis of malnutrition (CDM). This report summarizes nationally representative, person‐level characteristics of hospitalized children with a CDM. Methods: Data are from the 2010 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, which contains patient‐level data on hospital inpatient stays. When weighted appropriately, estimates from the project represent all U.S. hospitalizations. The data set contains up to 25 ICD‐9‐CM diagnostic codes for each patient. Children with a CDM listed during hospitalization were identified. Results: In 2010, 1.3% of hospitalized patients <17 years had a CDM. Since the data include only those with a CDM, malnutrition's true prevalence may be underrepresented. Length of stay among children with a CDM was almost 2.5 times longer than those without a CDM. Hospital costs for children with a CDM were >3 times higher than those without a CDM. Hospitalized children with a CDM were less likely to have routine discharge and almost 3.5 times more likely to require postdischarge home care. Children with a CDM were more likely to have multiple comorbidities. Conclusions: Hospitalized children with a CDM are associated with more comorbidities, longer hospital stay, and higher healthcare costs than those without this diagnosis. These undernourished children may utilize more healthcare resources in the hospital and community. Clinicians and policymakers should factor this into healthcare resource utilization planning. Recognizing and accurately coding malnutrition in hospitalized children may reveal the true prevalence of malnutrition.
An improved ant algorithm with LDA-based representation for text document clustering
Authors: Onan Aytug , Bulut Hasan , Korukoglu Serdar
Published: March 2016

Document clustering can be applied in document organisation and browsing, document summarisation and classification. The identification of an appropriate representation for textual documents is extremely important for the performance of clustering or classification algorithms. Textual documents suffer from the high dimensionality and irrelevancy of text features. Besides, conventional clustering algorithms suffer from several shortcomings, such as slow convergence and sensitivity to the initial value. To tackle the problems of conventional clustering algorithms, metaheuristic algorithms are frequently applied to clustering. In this paper, an improved ant clustering algorithm is presented, where two novel heuristic methods are proposed to enhance the clustering quality of ant-based clustering. In addition, the latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) is used to represent textual documents in a compact and efficient way. The clustering quality of the proposed ant clustering algorithm is compared to the conventional clustering algorithms using 25 text benchmarks in terms of F-measure values. The experimental results indicate that the proposed clustering scheme outperforms the compared conventional and metaheuristic clustering methods for textual documents.
Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Presbylarynx
Authors: Gonçalves Tatiana Maria , dos Santos Daniela Carvalho , Pessin Adriana Bueno Benito , Martins Regina Helena Garcia
Published: March 2016

Objective

To describe the findings on the presbylarynx under scanning electron microscopy.

Study Design

Cadaver study.

Setting

Universidade Estadual Paulista (Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil).

Subjects and Methods

Sixteen vocal folds were removed during necropsies and distributed into 2 age groups: control (n = 8; aged 30‐50 years) and elderly (n = 8; aged 75‐92 years). The right vocal fold was dissected, fixed in glutaraldehyde 2.5%, and prepared for scanning electron microscopy. The thickness of the epithelium was measured using a scandium morphometric digital program.

Results

In the control group, the epithelium had 5 to 7 overlapped cell layers, rare desquamation cells, and little undulation with protruding intercellular junctions. The lamina propria showed a uniform network of collagen and elastic fibers in the superficial layer. A dense network of collagen was identified in the deeper layer. In the elderly group, the epithelium was atrophic (2‐3 cells), with more desquamation cells and intercellular junctions delimited by deep sulci. The epithelial thickness was lower in elderly than in controls (mean [SD], 221.64 [145.90] µm vs 41.79 [21.40] µm, respectively). The lamina propria had a dense and irregular distribution of collagen and elastic fibers in the superficial layer. In the deep layers, the collagen fibers formed a true fibrotic and rigid skeleton.

Conclusion

Scanning electron microscopy identified several changes in the elderly larynx, differentiating it from the controls. These alterations are probably related to the aging process of the vocal folds. However, the exact interpretation of these findings requires additional studies, even to the molecular level, having the fibroblasts as targets.
An experimental study on the applicability of acoustic emission for wind turbine gearbox health diagnosis
Authors: Ferrando Chacon Juan Luis , Andicoberry Estefania Artigao , Kappatos Vassilios , Papaelias Mayorkinos , Selcuk Cem , Gan Tat-Hean
Published: March 2016

Condition monitoring of wind turbine gearboxes has mainly relied upon vibration, oil analysis and temperature monitoring. However, these techniques are not well suited for detecting early stage damage. Acoustic emission is gaining ground as a complementary condition monitoring technique as it offers earlier fault detection capability compared with other more established techniques. The objective of early fault detection in wind turbine gearboxes is to avoid unexpected catastrophic breakdowns, thereby reducing maintenance costs and increase safety. The aim of this investigation is to present an experimental study the impact of operational conditions (load and torque) in the acoustic emission activity generated within the wind turbine gearbox. The acoustic emission signature for a healthy wind turbine gearbox was obtained as a function of torque and power output, for the full range of operational conditions. Envelope analysis was applied to the acoustic emission signals to investigate repetitive patterns and correlate them with specific gearbox components. The analysis methodology presented herewith can be used for the reliable assessment of wind turbine gearbox subcomponents using acoustic emission.
Friendly Librarians
Authors: Bodaghi Nahid Bayat , Cheong Loh Sau , Zainab A. N. , Riahikia Mehdi
Published: March 2016

An academic library is a spiritual home to support users in their pursuit of lifelong learning. This study approaches the issues from the visually impaired students’ (VIPs) perspective towards librarians’ support. This study was conducted by using the qualitative approach. Data was collected through interviews and focus group discussions. For trustworthiness of data, member checking and audit from experts are also used. The participants of the study remarked that the librarians’ friendly behaviour provided them a sense of being accepted, valued, cared for, respected, and welcomed which fostered the creation of their sense of belonging.
Effects of dual-task balance training on postural performance in patients with Multiple Sclerosis: a double-blind, randomized controlled pilot trial
Authors: Monjezi Saeideh , Negahban Hossein , Tajali Shirin , Yadollahpour Nava , Majdinasab Nastaran
Published: March 2016

Objective:

To investigate the effects of dual-task balance training on postural performance in patients with multiple sclerosis as compared with single-task balance training.

Design:

Double-blind, pretest-posttest, randomized controlled pilot trial.

Setting:

Local Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Subjects:

A total of 47 patients were randomly assigned to two equal groups labeled as single-task training and dual-task training groups.

Interventions:

All patients received supervised balance training sessions, 3 times per week for 4 weeks. The patients in the single-task group performed balance activities, alone. However, patients in dual-task group practiced balance activities while simultaneously performing cognitive tasks.

Main measures:

The 10-Meter Walk Test and Timed Up-and-Go under single-task and dual-task conditions, in addition to Activities-specific Balance Confidence, Berg Balance Scale, and Functional Gait Assessment were assessed pre-, and post intervention and also 6-weeks after the end of intervention.

Results:

Only 38 patients completed the treatment plan. There was no difference in the amount of improvement seen between the two study groups. In both groups there was a significant effect of time for dual-10 Meter Walk Test (F1, 36=11.33, p=0.002) and dual-Timed Up-and-Go (F1, 36=14.27, p=0.001) but not for their single-tasks. Moreover, there was a significant effect of time for Activities-specific Balance Confidence, Berg Balance Scale, and Functional Gait Assessment ( P<0.01).

Conclusions:

This pilot study did not show more benefits from undertaking dual-task training than single-task training. A power analysis showed 71 patients per group would be needed to determine whether there was a clinically relevant difference for dual-task gait speed between the groups.
Comparing episodes of antidepressants use with intermittent episodes of no use: A higher relative risk of suicide attempts but not of suicide at young age
Authors: Termorshuizen Fabian , Smeets Hugo M , Boks Marco PM , Heerdink Eibert R
Published: March 2016

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a number of advisories regarding a possible causal link between antidepressants and suicide behaviour among young persons. We investigated the age dependency of (fatal) suicide attempts associated with antidepressants ( N=232,561). By linking insurance claims with the death register of Statistics Netherlands (2002–2011), rates of (fatal) suicide attempts were estimated during antidepressant use and intermittent episodes without use. The age dependency of the relative risk of attempts and of suicide during episodes with compared with episodes without antidepressants was investigated by testing the {age × episode} interaction.

The attempt rate during antidepressant use decreased with increasing age, concurrently with a decrease of the relative risk from 3.62 to 1.86 ( p for interaction <0.001). This age dependency was found both at the early (<0.5 year) and at later stages after the first prescription (>5 years). No suicides were found among those aged <18 years, and no age dependency for the relative risk of suicide at ages ⩾ 18 was established ( p>0.46). The association between antidepressants and suicide attempts at a young age does not necessarily point to a causal relationship, and, most importantly, did not translate to a similar age dependency for suicide.
Cost Recommendation under Uncertainty in IQWiG’s Efficiency Frontier Framework
Authors: Corro Ramos Isaac , Lhachimi Stefan K. , Gerber-Grote Andreas , Al Maiwenn J.
Published: March 2016

Background. The National Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) employs an efficiency frontier (EF) framework to facilitate setting maximum reimbursable prices for new interventions. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) is used when yes/no reimbursement decisions are sought based on a fixed threshold. In the IQWiG framework, an additional layer of complexity arises as the EF itself may vary its shape in each PSA iteration, and thus the willingness-to-pay, indicated by the EF segments, may vary. Objectives. To explore the practical problems arising when, within the EF approach, maximum reimbursable prices for new interventions are sought through PSA. Methods. When the EF is varied in a PSA, cost recommendations for new interventions may be determined by the mean or the median of the distances between each intervention’s point estimate and each EF. Implications of using these metrics were explored in a simulation study based on the model used by IQWiG to assess the cost-effectiveness of 4 antidepressants. Results. Depending on the metric used, cost recommendations can be contradictory. Recommendations based on the mean can also be inconsistent. Results (median) suggested that costs of duloxetine, venlafaxine, mirtazapine, and bupropion should be decreased by €131, €29, €12, and €99, respectively. These recommendations were implemented and the analysis repeated. New results suggested keeping the costs as they were. The percentage of acceptable PSA outcomes increased 41% on average, and the uncertainty associated to the net health benefit was significantly reduced. Conclusions. The median of the distances between every intervention outcome and every EF is a good proxy for the cost recommendation that would be given should the EF be fixed. Adjusting costs according to the median increased the probability of acceptance and reduced the uncertainty around the net health benefit distribution, resulting in a reduced uncertainty for decision makers.
Using CART to Identify Thresholds and Hierarchies in the Determinants of Funding Decisions
Authors: Schilling Chris , Mortimer Duncan , Dalziel Kim
Published: March 2016

There is much interest in understanding decision-making processes that determine funding outcomes for health interventions. We use classification and regression trees (CART) to identify cost-effectiveness thresholds and hierarchies in the determinants of funding decisions. The hierarchical structure of CART is suited to analyzing complex conditional and nonlinear relationships. Our analysis uncovered hierarchies where interventions were grouped according to their type and objective. Cost-effectiveness thresholds varied markedly depending on which group the intervention belonged to: lifestyle-type interventions with a prevention objective had an incremental cost-effectiveness threshold of $2356, suggesting that such interventions need to be close to cost saving or dominant to be funded. For lifestyle-type interventions with a treatment objective, the threshold was much higher at $37,024. Lower down the tree, intervention attributes such as the level of patient contribution and the eligibility for government reimbursement influenced the likelihood of funding within groups of similar interventions. Comparison between our CART models and previously published results demonstrated concurrence with standard regression techniques while providing additional insights regarding the role of the funding environment and the structure of decision-maker preferences.
Higher and colder: The success and failure of boundaries in high altitude and Antarctic research stations
Authors: Heggie Vanessa
Published: March 2016

This article offers a series of case studies of field stations and field laboratories based at high altitudes in the Alps, Himalayas and Antarctica, which have been used by Western scientists (largely physiologists and physicists) from circa 1820 to present. It rejects the common frame for work on such spaces that polarizes a set of generalizations about practices undertaken in ‘the field’ versus ‘the laboratory’. Field sites are revealed as places that can be used to highlight common and crucial features of modern experimental science that are exposed by, but not uniquely the properties of, fieldwork. This includes heterogeneity of population and practice, diverse afterlives, the manner in which spaces of science construct individual and group expertise, and the extensive support and funding structures needed for modern scientific work.
Political Turbulences and the Rebelliousness of the Madras Presidency Army
Authors: Dutta Manas
Published: March 2016

This article necessarily explores the dissensions and differences arising from the British domination over the Tamil-speaking regions of the erstwhile Madras Presidency before and during the Great Uprising of 1857. It seeks to explore the role played by the Madras Army during this period. The narrative of events vindicates the fact that the situation in Tamil districts was by no means tranquil and there were instances of resistance, if not rebelliousness, on the part of the native inhabitants to the Company’s government. The discontent in the lower ranks of the Company’s army was also very much evident, which has seldom received attention in the mainstream South Asian historiography. The reasons behind these occasional bouts of discontent were not simply related to financial and pecuniary reasons. In this context, it becomes imperative to unearth the possible hidden links, if any, between the rebellious incidents of north India and the brewing discontent within the Madras Army. The most important issue that needs to be taken into consideration primarily relates to the different types of responses that were noticed among the indigenous social groups.
Pimping and Profitability
Authors: Marcus Anthony , Sanson Jo , Horning Amber , Thompson Efram , Curtis Ric
Published: March 2016

Human trafficking has been identified as the second or third most profitable illicit business on the planet. Underlying these claims and billions of dollars in policy funding since the 1990s is an economics of human trafficking built heavily on two assumptions. The first is that nonconsensual labor is more profitable than consensual labor with minors being particularly profitable due to their ubiquity and inability to effectively consent. The second is that, unlike illicit narcotic and weapons sales, human trafficking involves a uniquely renewable and nearly limitless source of profit. This article uses empirical data collected from street sex markets in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 2010–2012 to test some of the assumptions of the economics of human trafficking and puts particular focus on U.S.-based domestic minor sex trafficking by exploring market practices and understandings of young sex workers and pimps/third parties who have opportunities to benefit from the sexual labor of minors. Consistent with broader literature by economic historians and labor process scholars, findings do not support the assumptions of trafficking economics, suggesting the need for trafficking economists and policymakers to give more consideration to local political economies of sex in the design of antitrafficking policy.
Framing Sex Worker Rights
Authors: Jackson Crystal A.
Published: March 2016

This article examines how U.S. sex worker rights activists articulate “rights-based frames” to counter mainstream “victim frames” that conflate sex work and sex trafficking. Drawing on interviews with 19 U.S. sex worker rights activists conducted between 2010 and 2012, and participant observation of a national sex worker rights conference in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2010, I illustrate how activists create sex worker rights frames that (1) contest the labeling of sex workers as victims and (2) contest the accuracy and emotionality of stories and statistics used in mainstream anti–sex trafficking efforts. This rights-based framing draws on two master frames, labor rights and equal rights, to redefine the criminalization and stigmatization of sexual labor as a social problem, rather than prostitution itself. In the framing conflict over sex work, a rights-based approach also problematizes the intent and outcomes of anti–sex trafficking efforts to protect and rescue. To the extent that U.S. policy and advocacy efforts assume that sex work is a social problem and morally reprehensible, and that abolition of prostitution is a sound goal, those who challenge these assertions are at a disadvantage for acquiring credibility, voice, and support.
People, Place, and Power
Authors: Gwartney Patricia A.
Published: March 2016

For thousands of years, the average woman spent 100 percent of her adult life in childbearing and child-rearing and averaged five or fewer menstrual cycles in her lifetime. That changed radically in the last few generations. Today, the average American woman will spend just 15 to 20 percent of her adult life in childbearing and -rearing, if she elects to have a child at all, and she will experience up to 500 menstrual cycles. I illustrate these changes with examples from generations of my own family and speculate about how such structural changes in families and households can affect gender inequality.
Examining the Influence of Care-Recipient Resistance on Family Caregiver Emotional and Physical Well-Being: Average Frequency Versus Daily Fluctuation
Authors: Shirai Yumi , Koerner Susan Silverberg
Published: March 2016

Although existing cross-sectional research suggests that dependent older family members’ resistive behavior (care-recipient [CR] resistance: verbal or nonverbal rejection or resistance toward caregiver [CG] assistance) can be challenging for informal family CGs, we know little about the impact of the occurrence patterns of CR-resistance—average frequency versus daily fluctuation—on CG emotional and physical well-being. To document CGs’ daily experiences with CR-resistance and their emotional and physical well-being, the present study applied short-term repeated measures, collecting data on 8 consecutive days from 63 CGs in Southern Arizona, the United States. Multilevel modeling of the daily data revealed that neither average frequency nor daily fluctuation in CR-resistance alone had a significant impact on CG emotional/physical health. However, the combination of experiencing relatively high frequency and high daily fluctuation in CR-resistance was associated with significant increases in CG physical health symptoms ( b = .34, p < .01). Specifically, on days when a CG faced more CR-resistance than his or her usual amount, significant increases in physical health symptoms existed for CGs with relatively high average frequency of CR-resistance, but not for CGs with relatively low average frequency of CR-resistance. Based on our results, it appears that monitoring and maintaining a reasonable level of CR-resistance are effective strategies to maintain CG resilience to the negative impact of CR-resistance daily fluctuation. The findings are interpreted in light of Stress Theory, and recommendations for future research and practical interventions are offered.
Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses of Delirium Symptoms in a Sample of Nursing Home Residents
Authors: Moyo Patience , Huang Ting-Ying , Simoni-Wastila Linda , Harrington Donna
Published: March 2016

Objective: This study examined the latent constructs of delirium symptoms among nursing home (NH) residents in the United States. Method: Cross-sectional NH assessment data (Minimum Data Set 2.0) from the 2009 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey were used. Data from two independent, randomly selected subsamples of residents ≥65 years were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results: There were 367 and 366 individuals in the EFA and CFA, respectively. Assessment of multiple model fit statistics in CFA indicated that the two-factor structure provided better fit for the data than a one-factor solution. The two factors represented cognitive and behavioral latent constructs as suggested by the related literature. A correlation of .72 between these constructs suggested moderate discriminant validity. Conclusion: This finding emphasizes the importance of health care providers to be attentive to both cognitive and behavioral symptoms when diagnosing, treating, and managing delirium.
Medical Home Implementation Gaps for Seniors: Perceptions and Experiences of Primary Care Medical Practices
Authors: Hoff Timothy , DePuccio Matthew
Published: March 2016

Objective: The study objective was to better understand specific implementation gaps for various aspects of patient-centered medical home (PCMH) care delivered to seniors. The study illuminates the physician and staff experience by focusing on how individuals make sense of and respond behaviorally to aspects of PCMH implementation. Method: Qualitative data from 51 in-depth, semi-structured interviews across six different National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)-accredited primary care practices were collected and analyzed. Results: Physicians and staff identified PCMH implementation gaps for their seniors: (a) performing in-depth clinical assessments, (b) identifying seniors’ life needs and linking them with community resources, and (c) care management and coordination, in particular self-management support for seniors. Prior experiences trying to perform these aspects of PCMH care for older adults produced collective understandings that led to inaction and avoidance by medical practices around the first two gaps, and proactive behavior that took strategic advantage of external incentives for addressing the third gap. Conclusion: Greater understanding of physician and staff’s PCMH implementation experiences, and the learning that accumulates from these experiences, allows for a deeper understanding of how primary care practices choose to enact the medical home model for seniors on an everyday basis.
Thermal degradation and flammability behavior of fire-retarded wood flour/polypropylene composites
Authors: Sun Lichao , Wu Qinglin , Xie Yanjun , Cueto Rafael , Lee Sunyoung , Wang Qingwen
Published: March 2016

Magnesium hydroxide, expandable graphite, and ammonium polyphosphate were used to enhance the thermal stability and fire retardant properties on wood flour/polypropylene composites. The thermal decompositions and flammability properties were investigated using modulated thermogravimetric analysis and cone calorimeter, and the activation energy of each decomposition process was also determined by modulated thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that both expandable graphite and ammonium polyphosphate promoted thermal degradation of wood flour and char formulation, and magnesium hydroxide did not influence on the wood flour decomposition. Unlike in nitrogen atmosphere, magnesium hydroxide and ammonium polyphosphate increased the peak temperature of wood flour thermal degradation and diminished the decomposition peaks of polypropylene in air atmosphere. Cone calorimeter results showed that expandable graphite greatly reduced the heat and smoke release. A general activation energy range of 187–226 kJ mol−1 (in nitrogen), 165–206 kJ mol−1 (in air) at wood flour degradation stage, 237–262 kJ mol−1 (in nitrogen), and 185–269 kJ mol−1 (in air) at polypropylene degradation stage were proposed for wood flour/polypropylene composite with and without fire retardants.
Synthesis and characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate nanoparticles for encapsulation of quercetin
Authors: Lightfoot Vidal Sarah , Rojas Claudio , Bouza Padín Rebeca , Pérez Rivera Mónica , Haensgen Astrid , González Marcelo , Rodríguez-Llamazares Saddys
Published: March 2016

Polyhydroxybutyrate- co-hydroxyvalerate has been identified as a useful polymer for biomedical application due to its biocompatibility and processability. Polyhydroxybutyrate- co-hydroxyvalerate nanoparticles loaded with quercetin, an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral polyphenol with limited solubility, were obtained using a high-speed double-emulsion technique. The nanoparticle size and the dissolution of quercetin were controlled simultaneously through high-speed stirring (15,000 r/min) in the emulsification process. The size range of quercetin-loaded polyhydroxybutyrate- co-hydroxyvalerate nanoparticles was between 250 and 650 nm. Spherical shape with no aggregation of nanoparticles was confirmed by electron microscopy. Loaded nanoparticles showed less thermal degradation than unloaded nanoparticles. An encapsulation efficiency of 51% was found. Most of the quercetin was released from the nanoparticles within the first 5 h of water immersion. A biocompatibility analysis of the nanoparticles showed no cytotoxicity and no significant difference between loaded and unloaded nanoparticles.
Enzyme immobilization on cellulose matrixes
Authors: Liu Yue , Chen Jonathan Y
Published: March 2016

Enzymes are excellent catalysts in many applications due to their biocompatibility, low energy consumption, unique selectivity, and mild reaction condition. However, some disadvantages limit the usage of enzymes in end uses, such as low stabilities and difficult recovery. In order to overcome these disadvantages, enzyme immobilization was developed. Among various kinds of substrates for attaching enzyme, cellulose and its derivatives are one of the ideal matrixes because they are low cost, nontoxic, renewable, biodegradable, and biocompatible. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the research of enzyme immobilization on cellulose matrixes.
Person-centred care: A qualitative study on first line managers’ experiences on its implementation
Authors: Rosengren Kristina
Published: March 2016

Person-centred care is an up-and-coming care model for reducing fragmentation in healthcare by using the core component partnership between patients and care providers. Therefore, it is important to develop knowledge of the implementation processes. The overall aim of this qualitative study was to describe managers’ experiences of the implementation of person-centred care. This paper provides an example of how person-centred care was implemented in the medical department of a hospital in the western part of Sweden. The study comprised eight interviews with first-line managers, and the data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results formed three categories, structured approach – to be organized; care planning – to be continued and teamwork – to be together, that describe the implementation of person-centred care from philosophy to practice application. Managerial skills of first-line managers are key components to developing a structured approach that improves and develops person-centred care, i.e. work together towards the mutual care plan. Continuous cooperation within and across organizational boundaries is needed (synergy effect) to decrease high working load when person-centred care is implemented to improve quality of care.
The effects of rectangular riblets on rectangular micro air vehicles for drag reduction
Authors: Radmanesh Mohammadreza , Samani Iman , Amiriyoon Alireza , Tavakoli Mohammad-Reza
Published: March 2016

Reduced drag, increased lift and, consequently, increased vital ratio and lift-to-drag coefficients are crucial in almost all efficient micro air vehicles. Riblet geometries use a variety of air vehicles. Further investigation on micro air vehicles is, however, necessary for enhanced development. Rectangular riblets on a rectangular micro air vehicle are computationally investigated. In this study, the governing equation of fluid flow is solved numerically; the turbulent model around the NACA S5020 airfoil section is covered by riblets either on both sides or on the upper side of the wings. Results show a difference of behavior in drag reduction due to the angle of attack on the airfoil. When the lift-to-drag coefficient of an angle of attack is at its maximum, an improvement can be observed, where lift-to-drag ratio increases, and drag decreases. Results for the two-side riblets show an increase in the lift-to-drag ratio as well; although the lift-to-drag coefficient and the drag reduction of riblets on both sides were comparatively less than that for riblets on the upside.
The influence of tibial component malalignment on bone strain in revision total knee replacement
Authors: Rastetter Benjamin R , Wright Samantha J , Gheduzzi Sabina , Miles Anthony W , Clift Sally E
Published: March 2016

Revision total knee replacement is a challenging surgical procedure typically associated with significant loss of bone stock in the proximal tibia. To increase the fixation stability, extended stems are frequently used for the tibial component in revision surgery. The design of the tibial stem influences the load transfer from tibial component to the surrounding bone and is cited as a possible cause for the clinically reported pain in the location of the stem-end. This study aimed to analyse the strain distribution of a fully cemented revision tibial component with a validated finite element model. The model was developed from a scanned composite tibia (Sawbones), with an implanted, fully cemented stemmed tibial component aligned to the mechanical axis of the tibia. Loading was applied to the tibial component with mediolateral compartment load distributions of 60:40 and 80:20. Three strain gauged composite tibias with implanted tibial components of the same design using the same loading distribution were tested to obtain experimental strains at five locations in the proximal tibia. The finite element model developed was validated against strain measurements obtained in the experimental study. The strains displayed similar patterns (R2 = 0.988) and magnitudes with those predicted from the finite element model. The displacement of the stem-end from the natural mechanical axis in the finite element model demonstrated increased strains in the stem-end region with a close proximity of the distal stem with the cortical bone. The simulation of a mediolateral compartment load of 80:20 developed peak cortical strain values on the posterior-medial side beneath the stem. This may possibly be related to the clinically reported pain at the stem-end. Furthermore, stem positioning in close proximity or contact with the posterior cortical bone is a contributory factor for an increase in distal strain.
Implantable power generation system utilizing muscle contractions excited by electrical stimulation
Authors: Sahara Genta , Hijikata Wataru , Tomioka Kota , Shinshi Tadahiko
Published: March 2016

An implantable power generation system driven by muscle contractions for supplying power to active implantable medical devices, such as pacemakers and neurostimulators, is proposed. In this system, a muscle is intentionally contracted by an electrical stimulation in accordance with the demands of the active implantable medical device for electrical power. The proposed system, which comprises a small electromagnetic induction generator, electrodes with an electrical circuit for stimulation and a transmission device to convert the linear motion of the muscle contractions into rotational motion for the magneto rotor, generates electrical energy. In an ex vivo demonstration using the gastrocnemius muscle of a toad, which was 28 mm in length and weighed 1.3 g, the electrical energy generated by the prototype exceeded the energy consumed for electrical stimulation, with the net power being 111 µW. It was demonstrated that the proposed implantable power generation system has the potential to replace implantable batteries for active implantable medical devices.
Max Scheler’s theory of the hierarchy of values and emotions and its relevance to current psychopathology
Authors: Cutting J
Published: March 2016

The philosopher Max Scheler (1874–1928) set out a hierarchical theory of values and emotions in the early twentieth century. This inspired Kurt Schneider to distinguish two sorts of depressive illness, each conforming to a Störung (disorder) in different levels of Scheler’s hierarchy. No other psychopathologist, except Stanghellini, gave the matter much attention. I believe that Scheler’s theory is a rich source of insight into psychopathology, general and neuropsychiatric. I therefore give an account of Scheler’s scheme, review its extant applications (Schneider’s, Stanghellini’s), and present suggestions as to its continuing potential relevance in a wide range of psychopathological conditions.
Research on the piston precise electromagnetic centering of labyrinth-piston compressor
Authors: Cheng Junming , Zhang Meimei , Liu Zhan , Feng Quanke , Zeng Xiangjun
Published: March 2016

In labyrinth piston compressor, the precise centering of the piston is the most important prerequisite to realize the labyrinth seal and ensure the compressor running safety. However, the piston suffers very large periodically varying loads caused by the gas force and the inertia force, which lead to the eccentrically running of the piston in cylinder. Under this condition, the leakage of the labyrinth piston compressor will be intensified, and the risk of the friction between piston and cylinder wall will increase. In order to realize the piston precise centering, in this paper, an electromagnetic centering system is introduced including the principle, structure, and application. In order to realize the piston precise electromagnetic centering outside of the cylinder, the through-piston rod is adopted. And the guide bearing can be removed. Thus, the current cantilever structure for the piston centering will be replaced with the simply supporting structure. More importantly, this technology can also be used for the traditional large reciprocating compressor, and thereby, the piston rings, packing and other wearing parts can be removed as well.
Moral courage in nursing: A concept analysis
Authors: Numminen Olivia , Repo Hanna , Leino-Kilpi Helena
Published: March 2016

Background:

Nursing as an ethical practice requires courage to be moral, taking tough stands for what is right, and living by one’s moral values. Nurses need moral courage in all areas and at all levels of nursing. Along with new interest in virtue ethics in healthcare, interest in moral courage as a virtue and a valued element of human morality has increased. Nevertheless, what the concept of moral courage means in nursing contexts remains ambiguous.

Objective:

This article is an analysis of the concept of moral courage in nursing.

Design:

Rodgers’ evolutionary method of concept analysis provided the framework to conduct the analysis.

Data sources:

The literature search was carried out in September 2015 in six databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and The Philosopher’s Index. The following key words were used: “moral” OR “ethical” AND “courage” OR “strength” AND “nurs*” with no time limit. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 31 studies were included in the final analysis.

Ethical considerations:

This study was conducted according to good scientific guidelines.

Results:

Seven core attributes of moral courage were identified: true presence, moral integrity, responsibility, honesty, advocacy, commitment and perseverance, and personal risk. Antecedents were ethical sensitivity, conscience, and experience. Consequences included personal and professional development and empowerment.

Discussion and conclusion:

This preliminary clarification warrants further exploring through theoretical and philosophical literature, expert opinions, and empirical research to gain validity and reliability for its application in nursing practice.