bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Personality Based Investigation on Distance Threshold for Freeway Landscape Pattern
Authors: Wei Zhonghua , Liu Sheng , Qiu Shi , Zhang Tongyang , Wang Shaofan
Published: May 2018

Freeway landscape design is closely related to driver performance. How to stimulate drivers’ positive physiological condition and improve overall driving performance by adopting ideal landscape design has become a research interest in recent years. This study explores the impact of changing the landscape pattern at appropriate intervals on driver fatigue and negative mental workload. Drivers’ mental performance was evaluated under three types of spatial patterns: open, semi-open, and vertical. Thirty drivers, 15 Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP) and 15 Type B Behavior Pattern (TBBP) drivers, respectively, were recruited to conduct the driving simulator experiment. Data on drivers’ physiological variation trends show that the mental workload of TABP and TBBP drivers varied under different spatial patterns. The principal factor high frequency (HF) was used to investigate the distance threshold for different freeway landscape patterns based on the analysis of physiological data collected by electrocardiogram (ECG). This study reveals that changing landscape pattern at a certain interval can benefit drivers’ physical and mental status. It is suggested that, when the design speed is 100 km/h, changing landscape pattern every 11 km can reduce fatigue and improve driving performance in both TABP and TBBP drivers. The conclusions of this study provide a rationale and guidance for agencies to adopt different spatial patterns in future freeway landscape design.
Effectiveness of Idle Reduction Technologies in Reducing Driver Exposure to Diesel Emissions
Authors: Zietsman Josias , Johnson Jeremy , Ramani Tara , Farzaneh Reza , Rodgers Michael , Samoylov Alexander , Xu Yanzhi “Ann” , Moore Amy
Published: May 2018

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of idle reduction technologies (IRTs) in reducing driver exposure to diesel exhaust, and to study the cost effectiveness of these technologies. IRTs are devices that provide heating and cooling to the cabin of a truck without idling the truck engine. The focus was on diesel-powered IRTs (auxiliary power units and fuel-operated heaters), and their impact on particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure of drivers sleeping or resting in the truck’s cabin. The focus was on diesel-powered IRTs as these devices generate their own emissions, potentially exacerbating in-cab exposure levels. The project involved initial field data collection at truck stops in the states of Georgia, Texas and California. This was followed by laboratory testing in an environmentally controlled test chamber on a sample of trucks, with and without the use of IRTs. The study findings showed that the use of IRTs resulted in a significant reduction of PM2.5 levels in the truck cabin when compared with the baseline scenario of a truck parked with the engine off and the doors and windows closed. Idling the truck engine and running the air conditioning system was also found to reduce in-cabin PM2.5 levels relative to the baseline. The study supports the premise that IRTs reduce driver exposure to diesel exhaust. Additionally, it was found that these devices are cost effective in that they all have payback periods of less than five years, making them viable alternatives to idling the truck engine during long-duration rest periods.
Improving Pathways to Fixed-Route Transit: Transit Agency Practices to Expand Access for All Users
Authors: DiPetrillo Stephanie , Lubin Andrea , Loukaitou-Sideris Anastasia , Salehian Carla , Gibson Stephen C. , Williams Kristine M. , Green Theodore Trent
Published: May 2018

This paper discusses challenges to and promising practices for making infrastructure improvements that enable persons with disabilities and all system users to safely reach public transportation stations and stops to access fixed-route transit options. Although tremendous strides have been made in national transit system accessibility since the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, far less progress has been made in ensuring that pathways to accessible transit stations and stops are in place. This reality poses a critical mobility concern as the nation’s aging population continues to rise, as does the percentage of the population with disability who may need to utilize public transit to access life enhancing and sustaining services. The study uses a national survey and targeted case study analysis to identify effective best practices for facilitating improvement to pathways to transit. These include approaching cost and funding creatively; pursuing partnerships; initiating and maintaining open communication and collaboration; exploring the use of data and new technologies to reduce cost and improve outcomes; and thinking holistically to identify and address pathway to transit improvement needs. Useful to both practitioners and policy-makers, the findings presented offer insights on how agencies can successfully achieve infrastructure improvements that extend beyond their own facilities and that allow people with disabilities and others to more easily access public transit.
Growth Components of Cow’s Milk: Emphasis on Effects in Undernourished Children
Authors: Grenov Benedikte , Michaelsen Kim F.
Published: May 2018

Background:

Cow’s milk is a core ingredient in foods for prevention and treatment of undernutrition in children. It promotes growth, but there is limited knowledge of which components in milk have growth-stimulating effects.

Objective:

To discuss the growth-stimulating effects of milk in undernourished children with emphasis on protein, lactose, and minerals.

Methods:

We reviewed literature on dairy and growth in undernourished children.

Results:

Cow’s milk has a specific stimulating effect on linear growth, even in well-nourished children, and it may stimulate weight gain and muscle accretion in wasted children. Dairy protein has high protein quality scores with no major differences between whey protein concentrate and dried skimmed milk. Lactose has potential growth-stimulating effects, and the high content of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc in milk is also likely to stimulate growth. Furthermore, a high dairy content reduces the amount of antinutrients from plant protein.

Conclusions:

Dairy protein, lactose, and bioavailable minerals all have potential growth-stimulating effects, which make cow’s milk an important ingredient in foods for undernourished children. Different dairy ingredients vary with regard to protein amount and quality, content of lactose, and minerals, and thereby growth stimulating effects. This should be taken into consideration when deciding which dairy ingredient to use. Challenges include the relatively high cost of dairy. Therefore, future studies should include cost-effectiveness analysis and assessment of the desirable content of each growth-promoting milk component.
Applying a Midwifery Lens to Indigenous Health Care Delivery: The Contribution of Campus Learning and Rural Placements to Effecting Systemic Change
Authors: Thackrah Rosalie D. , Thompson Sandra C.
Published: May 2018

Study background

Increasing cultural safety in health settings is essential to address stark health disparities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Respect for cultural knowledge, better communication, and recognition of racism as a determinant of health are required for improved service delivery. How this knowledge is acquired in health professional training and translated to clinical settings is poorly understood.

Purpose

Impacts of an innovative Indigenous health unit and remote clinical placements on knowledge acquisition and attitude change were explored among midwifery students to inform cultural competency initiatives in health professional training.

Methods

A multiphased, mixed methods research design used surveys, observations, and interviews. Qualitative analysis was strengthened through triangulation with quantitative data.

Results

A unit conceived with substantial Indigenous Australian input and which privileged these voices enhanced knowledge and shifted attitudes in a positive direction; however, immediate gains diminished over time. Remote placements had a profound effect on student learning. Exposure to Indigenous Australians in classrooms and communities, and the self-reflection generated, helped dispel stereotypes and challenge assumptions based on limited cultural knowledge and contact.

Conclusion

Optimization of receptivity to Indigenous Australian content and opportunities for remote placements contributed to students’ developing cultural capabilities with implications for all health professional training. Whether this heightened awareness is enough to address institutional racism identified in health service delivery remains unanswered. The focus must include those established health practitioners and administrators who influence organizational culture if real systemic change is to occur. Given appropriate on-going support, graduates can play a vital role in expediting this process.
Serial Analysis of Multiple Serum Cytokine Responses to Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Therapy in Patients With West Syndrome
Authors: Yamanaka Gaku , Morishita Natsumi , Morichi Shinichiro , Takeshita Mika , Tomomi Urabe , Ishida Yu , Tomoko Takamatsu , Oana Shingo , Watanabe Yusuke , Go Soken , Kashiwagi Yasuyo , Kawashima Hisashi
Published: May 2018

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy is effective for West syndrome; however, the underlying mechanism of action remains unknown. This study explored this mechanism in 5 Japanese patients with West syndrome, injected with ACTH for 28 days. Serum samples were obtained before and 30, 120, and 720 minutes after ACTH injection divided into an “early” (1-4 days) and a “late” (10-28 days) group. Responses to ACTH over time were analyzed by measuring the levels of 27 cytokines. In the early group, serum levels of interleukins-5, -9, and -17, basic fibroblast growth factor, interferon (IFN-γ), IFN-γ-inducible protein 10, chemokine ligand (CCL) 3 and 4, and platelet-derived growth factor were higher in all patients before ACTH administration than in the 720-minute time point. In the late group, no definite trend was observed except for decreased CCL2 levels after ACTH administration. These changes may correlate with mechanisms underlying the anticonvulsant effects of ACTH.
Evidence Supporting Clinical Use of Proportional Assist Ventilation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials
Authors: Tirupakuzhi Vijayaraghavan Bharath Kumar , Hamed Shatha , Jain Aditi , Chimunda Timothy , Telias Irene , Friedrich Jan O. , Burns Karen E. A.
Published: May 2018

Background:

While proportional assist ventilation (PAV), generates pressure in proportion to effort without a preselected target, proportional assist ventilation plus (PAV+) measures compliance and resistance, calculates work of breathing, and adjusts support to a preset assistance level.

Objective:

To summarize randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing invasive or noninvasive PAV or PAV+ in critically ill patients. Data Sources: We searched multiple databases to April 2017 without language restrictions and conference proceedings from 5 meetings to identify randomized parallel-group and crossover RCTs that compared invasive or noninvasive PAV or PAV+ to another mode in critically ill adults or children and reported at least 1 clinically important outcome.

Results:

We identified 14 RCTs (11 parallel group and 3 crossover) assessing PAV (n = 7) and PAV+ (n = 7) involving 931 adult patients. We found no effect of noninvasive PAV (vs noninvasive pressure support [PS]) on intubation (risk ratio 0.92 [0.59 to 1.43], I2 = 0%) or invasive PAV (vs invasive PS) on percentage rapid eye movement sleep (mean difference [MD] −2.93% [−14.20 to ±8.34], I2 = 43%). Compared to invasive PS, invasive PAV+ showed a nonsignificant increase in weaning time (MD +0.54 [−0.67 to +1.75] hours, I2 = 0%), but no effect on hospital mortality, reintubation, or tracheostomy.

Conclusions:

Current evidence does not support the use of invasive or noninvasive PAV or invasive PAV+ in critically ill adults. Amid low to moderate heterogeneity, we identified 3 promising areas for future research including assessing the role of noninvasive PAV as an initial support strategy in patients with acute respiratory failure, invasive PAV on sleep quality during invasive ventilation, and possibly invasive PAV+ for weaning.
Fibronectin modified TiO2 nanotubes modulate endothelial cell behavior
Authors: Jin Ziyang , Yan Xufeng , Liu Guiyong , Lai Min
Published: May 2018

Cardiovascular disease has become a great threat to the health of mankind; current titanium (Ti) stents fail due to late stent thrombosis caused by the lack of re-endothelialization of the Ti stent. The objective of this study was to design a novel cardiovascular Ti implant with improved surface biocompatibility. TiO2 nanotubes with a diameter of 110 nm were anodized at a constant voltage of 30 V, and fibronectin was immobilized onto the TiO2 nanotubes using polydopamine. The element composition, morphology, and wettability of the different substrate surfaces were characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle measurements, respectively, confirming the successful immobilization of fibronectin. In vitro experiments including immunofluorescence staining, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), and nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI2) release demonstrate that fibronectin modified TiO2 nanotubes supported cell adhesion, proliferation, and normal cellular functions of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). These methodologies can be applied for future fabrication of cardiovascular stents.
Synthetic Clothing and the Problem With Odor
Authors: Abdul-Bari Mohammed M. , McQueen Rachel H. , Nguyen Ha , Wismer Wendy V. , de la Mata A. Paulina , Harynuk James J.
Published: May 2018

Although polyester is well known for smelling strongly after wear, little is known about the propensity of nylon to retain and emit body odor. In this study, we investigated whether odor intensity differed between nylon and polyester fabrics. A secondary aim was to compare odor on fabrics frozen prior to sensory assessment with fabrics stored at room temperature. Eight participants wore T-shirts with fabrics in the underarm. Odor intensity was rated by 13 assessors. Odor reduction rate (ORR) was measured using ISO 17299-3. Overall, no differences were found in odor intensity between nylon and polyester. Any differences found between the two fabrics were likely dependent on the individual who wore the fabric. The ORR was higher for nylon than polyester, indicating that nylon absorbed more odorants. There was some evidence to suggest that odor intensity could increase on nylon fabrics stored at room temperature, but this was less apparent for polyester.
The Interplay of Regulatory Focus and Temporal Distance on Consumer Evaluation of Online Reviews
Authors: Kim Seeun , Kim Youn-Kyung
Published: May 2018

The researchers investigated how the temporal distance of purchase (i.e., near or distant future) affects consumers’ attitude and behavioral intention contingent upon regulatory-focused online reviews (i.e., prevention- or promotion-focused). A content analysis ( n = 912 online reviews of athletic shoes), pretest ( n = 104), and a main experiment ( n = 219) were conducted to examine consumer responses toward online reviews of shoes. The researchers found that when the consumption is planned for the near future, prevention-focused online reviews yield more favorable review attitude and purchase intention than promotion-focused online reviews. However, there were no significant differences in review attitude and purchase intention between the regulatory-focused online review types when the purchase was planned for the distant future. The findings of this study suggest practical guidelines for marketing practitioners in the footwear industry by suggesting an alternative way to manage online reviews based on regulatory fit between review types and consumption time frames.
How Strong Is the President in Government Formation? A New Classification and the Czech Case
Authors: Kopeček Lubomír , Brunclík Miloš
Published: May 2018

The article deals with the influence of presidents in the government formation process (GFP). The authors propose an original classification of roles of presidents, reflecting real constitutional practice, with five categories based on real presidential influence on the GFP, from the weakest to the strongest: observer, notary, regulator, co-designer, and creator. This classification is applied to Czechia, where the formal constitution gives the president great opportunities to intervene in the GFP. The results of the analysis of all cases of GFP show a significant variety of roles the Czech presidents have played: from notary to creator. Two factors are particularly important. Firstly, the timing of elections proved significant. When the GFP directly followed parliamentary elections, the presidents were weaker. In contrast, if the GFP followed a government break-up during the electoral term of the Chamber of Deputies, presidents were significantly stronger. Secondly, it depends on the real power of parties, that is, their ability to act together as a cohesive parliamentary majority. In most cases, the presidents showed their resolve to play a greater role than a notary, but they often faced a firm parliamentary majority that actually did not allow them to exert greater influence on the GFP. In contrast, the political proximity between the president and parliamentary parties appears difficult to assess, because there has been the public desire of non-partisan or “above-partisan” presidents in Czechia.
Understanding Breastfeeding Women’s Behaviors Toward Medication: Healthcare Professionals’ Viewpoint
Authors: Spiesser-Robelet Laurence , Maurice Aurélie , Gagnayre Rémi
Published: May 2018

Background:

Taking medication during breastfeeding is often a major concern for mothers. Knowledge, representations, and attitudes condition a mother’s behavior in this situation. Healthcare professionals, whose medication advice for breastfeeding women is often described in scientific literature as inappropriate, play a major role in counseling mothers. Healthcare professionals’ perceptions of mothers’ behaviors regarding medication use during breastfeeding may influence mothers’ behaviors.

Research Aim:

The aim of this study was to identify healthcare professionals’ perceptions of breastfeeding women’s knowledge, representations, and attitudes and behaviors about medication use.

Method:

A cross-sectional, prospective qualitative design was used. Semistructured interviews were conducted with a broad array of healthcare professionals ( N = 20) in different practice settings in the Angers area (France). Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts was carried out using the planned behavior theory of Ajzen.

Results:

Seventy themes concerning medication use while breastfeeding were identified and then combined into 8 categories. Healthcare professionals perceived that maternal behaviors regarding medication were mostly focused on the child’s safety and were linked to poor knowledge and negative representations, attitudes, and feelings toward medication. Healthcare professionals also perceived significant negative influences from the mother’s friends and family in regard to breastfeeding. Relationships between healthcare professionals and women were problematic when it came to drug use during breastfeeding.

Conclusion:

Taking into account healthcare professionals’ perceptions of maternal behavior will help improve education for these professionals. Indeed, knowing precisely what difficulties are met by healthcare professionals when they encounter medication use during breastfeeding can help educators improve training for these professionals.
Modeling laminar burning velocity of gasoline using an energy fraction-based mixing rule approach
Authors: Kim Joohan , Min Kyoungdoug
Published: May 2018

To determine an optimum combustion chamber design and engine operating strategies, computational fluid dynamics simulations of direct-injection spark-ignition engines have become an indispensable step in the powertrain development process. The laminar burning velocity of gasoline is known as an essential input parameter for combustion simulations. In this study, a new methodology for modeling the laminar burning velocity of gasoline for direct-injection spark-ignition engine simulations is proposed. Considering the gasoline as a complex mixture of hydrocarbon fuel, three hydrocarbons, iso-octane, n-heptane, and toluene were incorporated as surrogate fuel components to represent gasoline with distinct aromatic laminar flame characteristics compared to alkane. A mixing rule, based on energy fractions, was adopted to consider the compositional variation of gasoline. The laminar burning velocities of iso-octane, n-heptane, and toluene were calculated under wide thermo-chemical conditions in conjunction with detailed chemical reaction kinetics in the premixed flame simulation. Finally, a set of laminar burning velocity model equations was derived by curve-fitting the flame simulation results of each hydrocarbon component in consideration of the effect of temperature, pressure, and diluent. The laminar burning velocity model was validated against the measurement data of gasoline’s laminar burning velocity found in the literature, and was applied to the computational fluid dynamics simulation of a direct-injection spark-ignition engine under the various operating conditions to explore the prediction capability.
The reinterment of John Hunter's remains in Westminster Abbey and the memorial brass erected over his grave
Authors: McHardy George
Published: May 2018

John Hunter died in 1793 and was buried in the vaults of the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. In 1859, the vaults were required to be cleared and Hunter's coffin was found and his remains were reinterred in Westminster Abbey beneath a memorial brass. In the course of research on several such memorials in a Worcestershire village church, a letter was found that a clerk, having misread the writer's signature, consequently misfiled. Following this lead, it is now possible to tell something not only of the genesis of Weekes's statue of Hunter but also of the making and cost of the brass over his grave.
Medical response to the declaration of the First World War: The case of Edwin Seaborn
Authors: Istl Alexandra C , McAlister Vivian C
Published: May 2018

At the turn of the 20th century, Dr Edwin Seaborn was starting his surgical and academic career at Western University in Ontario. When war was declared in 1914, Seaborn prevailed upon the university’s president to offer the Canadian government a fully staffed hospital for deployment overseas. Initially declined by the War Office in Ottawa, the university's offer was later accepted after mounting casualties stretched the capacity of the Canadian Army Medical Corps, and Seaborn was granted command of the new No. 10 Canadian Stationary Hospital. From 1916 to 1919, Seaborn’s medical, surgical, and administrative practices transformed the humble No. 10 Stationary Hospital into a General Hospital that was indispensable to the war effort and raised the standard for military medical practice. Upon the unit’s return to London, Ontario, Seaborn’s dedication was transferred to his extensive work as an author, historian, academic, and beloved physician. During the centennial of the First World War, this paper explores the impact of an academic medical unit by looking at the career of its Commanding Officer: a man who made an invaluable contribution to the Canadian war effort and set a precedent for exceptional medical care at home and at war.
Social exchange and integration into visits-at-home networks: Effects of third-party intervention and residential segregation on boundary-crossing
Authors: Windzio Michael
Published: May 2018

In this study, the concept of social integration will be rebuilt along arguments from social exchange theory and applied to close ties in social networks. Visiting children at home is part of daily routine–behaviour based on trust and expectations of reciprocity. Two different approaches to longitudinal modelling of ties in network data show that, once initiated, visits-at-home ties strongly tend towards reciprocity. While the intensification of these ties can be explained by E. Lawler’s affect theory of social exchange, their initiation will be regarded as a rational decision based on uncertainty and costs. Both increase when ethnic boundaries need to be crossed. Ethnic-residential segregation and spatial distance reduce the opportunity structure of inter-ethnic visits, and third-party intervention often inhibits ties in these networks.
Mandibular Catch-Up Growth in Pierre Robin Sequence: A Systematic Review
Authors: Purnell Chad A. , Janes Lindsay E. , Klosowiak Julian L. , Gosain Arun K.
Published: May 2018

Objective:

The concept of mandibular catch-up growth is often quoted in the literature regarding Pierre Robin sequence (PRS). We endeavored to perform a systematic review of whether the literature supports this concept.

Design:

Systematic review.

Interventions:

A PubMed-based systematic review of the English literature was performed of articles objectively measuring mandibular growth or position after nonoperative management of PRS.

Main Outcome Measures:

Rate and end point of mandibular length, ramus length, gonial angle, and maxillomandibular discrepancy.

Results:

The initial search delivered 607 English-language abstracts. Of these, 16 met inclusion criteria. Eight articles evaluating 143 patients followed longitudinal patient data and therefore allowed comparison of growth rates to controls. Ten articles evaluating 228 patients presented cross-sectional data and therefore could only evaluate a single time point. Two of the 8 longitudinal studies reported faster than normal growth of mandibular length in a significant portion of their cohort. Five of 8 reported equal growth rates. One of 16 studies reported that mandibular length of patients with PRS normalized compared to controls. Two of 16 studies reported no difference in maxillomandibular discrepancy between PRS and controls, whereas 10 reported a posteriorly displaced mandible relative to the maxilla in PRS. Significant differences in control groups, patients, and age existed between studies.

Conclusions:

While the concept of catch-up growth in PRS is often quoted, a minority of objective studies suggest increased mandibular growth rates in isolated PRS. Even fewer studies suggest that the maxillomandibular discrepancy in PRS completely resolves.
Going wide: extended mind and Wittgenstein
Authors: Loughlin Victor
Published: May 2018

Extended mind remains a provocative approach to cognition and mentality. However, both those for and against this approach have tacitly accepted that cognition or mentality can be understood in terms of those sub-personal processes ongoing during some task. I label this a process view of cognition (PV). Using Wittgenstein’s philosophical approach, I argue that proponents of extended mind should reject PV and instead endorse a ‘wide view’ of mentality. This wide view clarifies why the hypothesis of extended mind (HEM) is incoherent. However, this view also indicates why the hypothesis of extended cognition (HEC) could be true.
The Political Responsiveness of Violent Crime Prosecution
Authors: Boldt Ethan D. , Boyd Christina L.
Published: May 2018

Is a federal prosecutor’s decision whether to pursue violent crime charges political? While prosecutors frequently assert their decision-making independence, their selection and operational constraints suggest a very different story. We assess whether political factors related to the prosecution priorities of the president, Congress, and the local public affect federal prosecutors’ decisions to pursue or decline charges in violent crime matters. To empirically examine this, we utilize data from 89 U.S. Attorneys offices from 1996 to 2011. The results provide rich new insight into when and why federal prosecutors’ decisions to pursue or decline prosecutions are driven by the preferences of the president, Congress, and the local public. The findings also have important broader implications for the role of political factors in a U.S. criminal justice system believed by many to be in crisis.
Role of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors in the current and future eras of cancer treatment
Authors: Parylo S , Vennepureddy A , Dhar V , Patibandla P , Sokoloff A
Published: May 2018

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors, which act by inhibiting progression from the G1 to S phases of the cell cycle, include palbociclib, ribociclib, abemaciclib, and trilaciclib. Palbociclib and ribociclib are currently food and drug administration-approved for use in combination with aromatase inhibitors in postmenopausal women with metastatic hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer. Palbociclib is also food and drug administration-approved for use in combination with fulvestrant in hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer progressing after endocrine therapy. Abemaciclib is the newest cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor to gain Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, specifically as monotherapy for hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer previously treated with chemotherapy and endocrine therapy. Abemaciclib also shares a similar indication with palbociclib for use in combination with fulvestrant in hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer progressing after endocrine therapy. Trilaciclib use remains largely investigational at this time. However, despite FDA-approval for only metastatic hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer, all four cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors have shown promise in hematologic malignancies and non-breast solid tumors. Although further research is needed, cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors represent intriguing developments in the treatment of various malignancies, including those with such poor prognoses as glioblastoma multiforme, mantle cell lymphoma, and metastatic melanoma. We discuss the approved indications, current research, and areas of future exploration for palbociclib, ribociclib, abemaciclib, and trilaciclib.
Surface contamination with ten antineoplastic drugs in 83 Canadian centers
Authors: Chauchat L , Tanguay C , Caron NJ , Gagné S , Labrèche F , Bussières JF
Published: May 2018

Purpose

The aim of this study was to monitor environmental contamination by 10 antineoplastic drugs in Canadian oncology pharmacy and patient care areas. The secondary objective was to explore the impact of factors that may explain contamination.

Methods

Twelve standardized sites were sampled in each center (six in the pharmacy and six in patient care areas). Each sample was prepared to allow quantification of seven antineoplastic drugs (cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, methotrexate, cytarabine, gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan) by UPLC-MS-MS. Docetaxel, paclitaxel and vinorelbine were also detected, but not quantified due to sensibility limitations. The impact of some factors was evaluated compared with a Kolmogorov–Smirnov test for independent samples.

Results

Eighty-three Canadian centers were recruited in 2017. A total of 953 surfaces were sampled, 495 in pharmacy and 458 in patient care areas. Cyclophosphamide was most often found on surfaces (36% of samples positive, 75th percentile 0.0040 ng/cm2). The arm rest (81.7% of samples positive for at least one antineoplastic drug), the front grille inside the hood (78.3%) and the floor in front of the hood (61.4%) were more frequently contaminated. Centers who prepared more antineoplastic drugs per year had higher concentration on different surfaces ( p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Despite growing awareness and implementation of new safe handling guidelines, healthcare centers' surfaces remain contaminated with traces of many antineoplastic drugs. The use of personal protective equipment remains indisputable. Performing an annual monitoring remains a good indicator to monitor trends over time and to compare with similar centers.
Investigation of the Genotoxicity of Aluminum Oxide, β-Tricalcium Phosphate, and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles In Vitro
Authors: Akbaba Giray Buğra , Türkez Hasan
Published: May 2018

The aim of this study was to investigate the genotoxicity of aluminum oxide (Al2O3), β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) (Ca3(PO4)2), and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) that were 4.175, 9.058, and 19.8 nm sized, respectively, on human peripheral blood lymphocytes using micronucleus (MN) and chromosome aberration (CA) techniques. Aluminum oxide and β-TCP NPs did not show genotoxic effects on human peripheral blood cultures in vitro, even at the highest concentrations; therefore, these materials may be suitable for use as biocompatible materials. It was observed that, even at a very low dose (≥12.5 ppm), ZnO NPs had led to genotoxicity. In addition, at high concentrations (500 ppm and above), ZnO NPs caused mortality of lymphocytes. For these reasons, it was concluded that ZnO NPs are not appropriate for using as a biocompatible biomaterial.
Tear film evaluation by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy during retinal imaging
Authors: Muftuoglu Ilkay Kilic , Gomez Maria Laura , Afshari Natalie , Uwe Dirk-Bartsch , Meshi Amit , Gaber Raouf , You Qisheng , Freeman William R
Published: May 2018

Purpose:

Herein, we describe a novel finding which appears as a reticular pattern on multicolor confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy image during routine imaging of retina and we aim to show whether there is an association between this pattern and dry eye findings.

Materials and methods:

A total of 162 eyes of 81 patients that were scheduled for a routine retinal imaging by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy at a vitreoretinal practice underwent dry eye evaluation including corneal and conjunctival lissamine green staining, fluorescein staining, tear break-up time, and tear meniscus height measurement before acquiring any images. Then, multicolor images were taken and graded for the severity of reticular pattern.

Results:

Among 150 eyes of 81 patients with gradable multicolor imaging, 45 eyes (30%) had some reticular pattern on multicolor image. Severity of reticular pattern on multicolor imaging was significantly correlated with total lissamine score (rho = 0.378, p = 0.007) and tear meniscus height (rho = −0.408, p = 0.011). Furthermore, they were found to be the best set of predictors for the severity pattern on multicolor imaging (odds ratio = 1.30, 95% confidence interval = 1.01–1.37, p = 0.027 and odds ratio = 0.25, 95% confidence interval = 0.128–0.342, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion:

Reticular pattern seen on multicolor image while acquiring retinal images using scanning laser ophthalmoscopy may be related to tear film instability. Further modulations of the scanning laser ophthalmoscopy instrument will likely improve this indicator of dry eye syndrome.
International variation in programmes for assessment of children’s neurodevelopment in the community: Understanding disparate approaches to evaluation of motor, social, emotional, behavioural and cognitive function
Authors: Wilson Philip , Wood Rachael , Lykke Kirsten , Hauskov Graungaard Anette , Ertmann Ruth Kirk , Andersen Merethe Kirstine , Haavet Ole Rikard , Lagerløv Per , Abildsnes Eirik , Dahli Mina P. , Mäkelä Marjukka , Varinen Aleksi , Hietanen Merja
Published: May 2018

Background: Few areas of medicine demonstrate such international divergence as child development screening and surveillance. Many countries have nationally mandated surveillance policies, but the content of programmes and mechanisms for delivery vary enormously. The cost of programmes is substantial but no economic evaluations have been carried out. We have critically examined the history, underlying philosophy, content and delivery of programmes for child development assessment in five countries with comprehensive publicly funded health services (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Scotland and Sweden). The specific focus of this article is on motor, social, emotional, behavioural and global cognitive functioning including language. Findings: Variations in developmental surveillance programmes are substantially explained by historical factors and gradual evolution although Scotland has undergone radical changes in approach. No elements of universal developmental assessment programmes meet World Health Organization screening criteria, although some assessments are configured as screening activities. The roles of doctors and nurses vary greatly by country as do the timing, content and likely costs of programmes. Inter-professional communication presents challenges to all the studied health services. No programme has evidence for improved health outcomes or cost effectiveness. Conclusions: Developmental surveillance programmes vary greatly and their structure appears to be driven by historical factors as much as by evidence. Consensus should be reached about which surveillance activities constitute screening, and the predictive validity of these components needs to be established and judged against World Health Organization screening criteria. Costs and consequences of specific programmes should be assessed, and the issue of inter-professional communication about children at remediable developmental risk should be prioritised.
Nonlinear dynamical behaviors of a moving membrane under external excitation
Authors: Shao Mingyue , Wu Jimei , Wang Yan , Ying Shudi
Published: May 2018

In this paper, the nonlinear vibration characteristics of a moving printing membrane under external excitation are studied. Based on the Von Karman nonlinear plate theory, the nonlinear vibration equation of the axial motion membrane under the external excitation is deduced. The Galerkin’s method is used to discretize the vibration differential equations of the membrane, and then the state equation of the system is obtained. The state equation of the system is numerically solved by the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. The relationship between the nonlinear vibration characteristics and the amplitude of external excitation, damping coefficient, and aspect ratio of the printing membrane is analyzed by using the time histories, phase-plane portraits, Poincare maps, and bifurcation diagrams. Chaotic intervals and the stable working range of the moving membrane are obtained. This study provides a theoretical basis for predicting and controlling the stability of the membrane.
Type your listenership: An exploration of listenership in instant messages
Authors: Choe Hanwool
Published: May 2018

This case study investigates how people ‘listen’ and act as ‘listeners’ in instant messages. Little research has been done on listenership and listeners in text-based digital discourse; to address this gap, I analyze a group instant message conversation among five Korean young women via KakaoTalk, a free instant messaging application. Demonstrating previous studies on listenership and listeners in spoken discourse and defining ‘listenership’ as the act of giving feedback on prior messages, I identify and explicate four ways of showing listenership in instant message interaction: (1) minimal responses, (2) machine gun listenership, (3) laughing and (4) sticker reaction. My analysis illuminates how verbal and non-verbal forms of listenership are adapted to typed-based online contexts as well as how listenership contributes to the construction of talk in typed-based digital environments.
Rituals, discourses, and realities: Serious wine and tea tasting in contemporary China
Authors: Zhang Jinghong
Published: May 2018

Ritualized wine and tea tasting events exemplify the intensifying consumerism in contemporary China, and provide an opportunity for understanding the link between commercialized ceremonial practices and underlying individual aspirations and national ideologies. Based on an ethnographic investigation of recent formal wine and tea tasting events held in China’s coastal eastern regions, this article explores how such events are embedded in discourses about both new individual lifestyle models and national cultural reconstruction. The author argues that, despite the fact that wine and tea drinking have very different cultural histories, ritualized tea and wine gatherings reflect many similar underlying social discourses. Furthermore, this article analyses some unsuccessful aspects of ritualized tastings to reveal the tension between social discourses and realities. Essentially, the article aims to show that Chinese consumption aspirations are caught in a paradox between ideals and practices, and performances and realities.
Matters of time: Materiality and the changing temporal organisation of everyday energy consumption
Authors: Spurling Nicola
Published: May 2018

This article seeks to reverse an emphasis in current discussions of peak demand and the times of everyday energy consumption, which suggest that the use of technologies, infrastructures and energy are patterned by temporal features of practice as against such materials being integral to practice temporalities. In an exploratory study of homes and daily lives between 1950 and 2000, materials are foregrounded in the analysis of daily routines and the temporal details of specific practices – doing laundry, keeping warm and keeping oneself clean. The article challenges prominent approaches by demonstrating the material co-constitution of practice temporalities, and thus of the temporal organisation of everyday energy consumption. This material co-constitution is argued for in two ways. First, the article reveals the material dimensions of commonly cited concepts of temporality from Zerubavel, which have previously relied on solely social explanations. Second, the article argues that understanding materials as integral to times of practice (and consumption) requires a new conceptual vocabulary with which to perceive, analyse and discuss such relationships. The article concludes by outlining an initial set of concepts identified through the historical study and discusses the relevance of the emergent framework to contemporary contexts.
Civic virtue and values teaching in a ‘post-secular’ world
Authors: Vincent Carol
Published: May 2018

Drawing on empirical data, this article makes a contribution to knowledge through bringing together the apparently disparate elements of contemporary education policy, religion, civic virtue and values teaching, in particular, the teaching of ‘fundamental British values’. I illustrate, through a discussion of the linkages between these elements, how religion remains a strong influence on contemporary education policy, both explicitly with regard to the integration of Muslim ‘others’ and implicitly through the growing popularity of values education in schools. In order to develop this argument, I first outline the extent to which Christianity, often de-theologised, shapes normative Western European values and permeates apparently secular spaces. Second, I identify some school responses to the British values policy and note the importance of the political and social context informed, I argue, by acute anxiety around Islam and extremism. Third, through the discussion of one particular school site, I identify the trend towards emphasising values education in secular schools, and the implicit religious undertones within this. I suggest that we can understand this trend as an instance of the post-secular where religious influences remain strong in apparently secular places, but argue that there are limitations to such an approach to values education in terms of increasing pupil voice and agency.
Ex Ante and Ex Post Willingness to Pay for Hosting a Large International Sport Event
Authors: de Boer Willem I. J. , Koning Ruud H. , Mierau Jochen O.
Published: May 2018

Using the contingent valuation method, we estimate residents’ ex ante and ex post willingness to pay (WTP) for hosting a large international sport event: The “big start” of the 2016 Giro d’Italia, which was held in the Gelderland region of the Netherlands. The percentage of residents with a positive WTP changed from 29.7% before the event to 39.3% immediately after the event, while average WTP increased significantly from €3.58 to €4.45, leading to an increase of residents’ valuation from €5.8 million to €7.1 million. Additionally, following the event in the media and attending the event play an important role in explaining residents’ WTP.
Research on Key Indicators in Modern Surgical Practice Assessment: Ergonomic Approach
Authors: Grozdanovic Dragutin , Grozdanovic Miroljub
Published: May 2018

It is undeniable that fundamental requirements in surgery refer to the adequate use of medical knowledge (eg, clinical knowledge and technical skills). However, this knowledge and skills of surgeons should be supplemented with synergetic research of capabilities of surgeons, operating rooms (ORs), and nontechnical skills. In this article, by using expert research, we presented 15 key indicators in surgical practice assessment. Communication efficiency in the OR has been ranked as the first and most important among indicators using the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process method. Within the analysis of this indicator, we have shown a new method that provided us with the results describing the extent of communication, the correlation in the communication system, surgeon workload uniformity, and isolation of individual surgeons in the OR. The goal of this research is aimed at the increase of operator efficiency in the OR. It is necessary that results of this kind of research find their practical use and become an obligatory element in the construction of new ORs as well as reconstruction of old ORs.
Motion planning of rigid chain for rigid–flexible coupled robot
Authors: Wang Keyi , Yin Pengcheng , Yang Haipeng , Wang Lan
Published: May 2018

This work is motivated by the possibility that hemiplegic patients might achieve complete functional recovery of lower limb joints, muscles, and nerves by stretching and bending the lower limbs using rehabilitation training. A model of a rigid–flexible coupled lower limb rehabilitation robot is established and mechanically analyzed to satisfy both the control of various movement loci with flexion and extension and the requirements of rehabilitation training. According to the Denavit–Hartenberg method and the influence coefficient method, a kinematic model is established. Moreover, a static equilibrium equation is presented, and two motion planning methods for rigid branched chain movement are put forward. Fluctuation parameters are proposed to estimate the tension of every wire. A planning strategy of different rigid branched chains is analyzed during mechanical simulation using MATLAB [version 2013a]/SimMechanics along a specific trajectory. The law of wires and rigid branched chains is achieved. The wires’ working performance of a parallel robot can be improved by introducing a rigid branched chain. During the dynamic simulation of the mechanism, other wires’ tension changes are analyzed by setting the wire’s tension (100 N) of a coupled branched chain. The wire’s tension performance in the system is evaluated by its fluctuation performance. Finally, it is validated that the strategy of angle bisection is the best. The results prove that the rigid–flexible parallel rehabilitation robot can realize gait rehabilitation training of lower limbs, which leads to the servo control research of this robot.