bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding Educational Barriers and Needs of North Korean Defector Nursing Students: A Qualitative Descriptive Study
Authors: Kong Eun-Hi , Lim Kyung-Choon , Yu SuJeong
Published: October 2018

Introduction: A growing number of North Korean defector students enter nursing schools in South Korea. Many of them, however, quit nursing school and fail to obtain a nurse license. The purpose of this study was to describe the educational barriers and needs of North Korean defector nursing students. Method: A qualitative descriptive approach was employed. Convenience sampling was used, and 14 students participated. Qualitative content analysis was employed. Results: Five themes emerged: lack of preparation for higher education, multiple language barriers, differences in education and culture, lack of support and resources, and lack of information and understanding. Discussion: South Korean government needs to provide North Korean defector students with more practical supportive programs. South Korean nursing schools need to provide more transcultural education for South Korean students and supportive adaptation programs for North Korean defector students to produce culturally competent nurses who provide culturally congruent health care.
Finite element analysis of electroactive and magnetoactive coupled behaviors in multi-field origami structures
Authors: Zhang Wei , Ahmed Saad , Masters Sarah , Hong Jonathan , Ounaies Zoubeida , Frecker Mary
Published: October 2018

Active origami-inspired designs, which incorporate active materials such as electroactive polymers and magnetoactive elastomers into self-folding structures, have shown good promise in engineering applications. In this article, finite element analysis models are developed for several bending and folding configurations that incorporate a combination of active and passive material layers, such as electroactive polymer–actuated unimorph benders based on single and multilayer electroactive polymers, electroactive polymer–actuated notched unimorph folding configurations, and a multi-field actuated bimorph configuration. Constitutive relations are developed for both electrostrictive and magnetoactive materials to model the coupled behaviors explicitly. Shell elements are adopted for their capacity of modeling thin films, relatively low computational cost, and ability to model the intrinsic coupled behaviors in the active materials under consideration. The electrostrictive coefficients are measured and then used as input in the constitutive modeling of the coupled behavior. The magnetization of the magnetoactive elastomer is measured and then used to calculate the magnetic torque as a function of the special orientation, which leads to spatial deformation of the magnetoactive elastomers. The objective of the study is to validate the constitutive models implemented through the finite element analysis method to simulate multi-field coupled behaviors of the active origami configurations. Through quantitative comparisons, simulation results show good agreement with experimental data. By investigating the impact of material selection, location, and geometric parameters, this finite element analysis approach can be used in design of self-folding structures, reducing trial-and-error iterations in experiments.
Aeroelastic analysis of a sandwich panel with partially treated magneto-rheological fluid core
Authors: Asgari Mojtaba , Rayyat Rokn-Abadi Mohammad , Yousefi Masood , Haddadpour Hassan
Published: October 2018

This study considers the aeroelastic instability of a partially treated magneto-rheological fluid sandwich panel in supersonic airflow. The linear first-order piston theory is used for modeling the aerodynamic pressure. Using classical Hamilton’s principle along with the finite element method, the equations of motion are derived. The critical value of the non-dimensional aerodynamic pressure is obtained by traditional p-method scheme. The validity of the finite element formulation is examined through comparison with those obtained from the assumed mode formulation and the available results in the literature. Various parametric studies including the effects of applied magnetic field, core and constraining layer thicknesses are examined for several configurations of the core at simply-supported and clamped–clamped boundary conditions. The results show that the critical non-dimensional aerodynamic pressure of the sandwich panel is influenced not only by the magnetic field strength, core and constraining layer thicknesses but also strongly by the configuration of the core.
Synthesizing Qualitative Data Sets to Improve the Design of Trials and Complex Health Interventions: A Worked Example
Authors: Turner Katrina M. , Percival John , Kessler David , Donovan Jenny L.
Published: October 2018

Qualitative researchers are increasingly reanalyzing and synthesizing data sets from different studies, and this method has now been used across trials to inform trial methodology and delivery. Despite this work, however, limited guidance exists about how this method should be employed. This article details an example in which interview data collected during three primary care depression trials were brought together to explore trial participants’ study and treatment journeys. It details the process involved and the decisions made. It also presents findings from this synthesis to illustrate how this method can be used to inform the development of future trials and complex interventions, through raising questions about how researchers currently define and design treatment arms and indicating what factors may improve or hinder participants’ engagement with their allocated treatment.
The Capture Gap: Implantable Cardioverter–Defibrillator Quality of Life
Authors: Hopgood Daniel A. , Czosek Richard J. , Bakas Tamilyn , Garritano Nicole , Gillespie Gordon L.
Published: October 2018

We aimed to compare salient characteristics and antecedents of quality of life (QOL) in adolescents and young adults with implantable cardioverter–defibrillators (ICDs) from qualitative methods with quantitative measurement of QOL and correlations between QOL (PedsQL) and measured participant characteristics. Concurrent parallel mixed methods design was used to collect survey data from the PedsQL electronic health record, demographic questionnaire, and semistructured interview data. A convenience sample of 16 individuals with ICDs, aged 13 to 25 years, was obtained from a tertiary pediatric facility. Overall QOL and subdomains of physical, psychosocial, and academic/work were examined by PedsQL and visual analog scale. Select demographics were collected to develop a participant profile. Females with ICDs appear to be at risk of poor QOL given some unknown factors. Financial status of the individual and the family was positively related to QOL. For new ICD persons involved in physical activities that must be stopped, peer support appears to improve QOL.
Rituximab Exhibits Altered Pharmacokinetics in Patients With Membranous Nephropathy
Authors: Fogueri Uma , Cheungapasitporn Wisit , Bourne David , Fervenza Fernando C. , Joy Melanie S.
Published: October 2018

Background: Rituximab (RTX) is a chimeric monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody used off-label in the treatment of membranous nephropathy (MN). Unfortunately, limited information is available on the pharmacokinetics of therapeutic proteins such as RTX in patients with glomerular kidney diseases. Objective: The current study evaluated RTX pharmacokinetics in patients with MN (n = 20) who received 4 RTX weekly intravenous infusions (375 mg/m2) over a month, with a repeat of the identical treatment at 6 months. Baseline patient characteristics were gender (17 male/3 female), age (49 ± 13 years), and body surface area (2.2 ± 0.24 m2). Methods: Compartmental pharmacokinetic analyses were conducted using Phoenix, and comparisons of these parameters were made between the MN patients and published data from 2 reference populations without kidney diseases (follicular lymphoma and autoimmune disorders). Results: Patients with MN exhibited a shorter half-life, reduced volume of central compartment, decreased area under the serum concentration-time curve (exposure), and increased RTX clearance from the central compartment versus previous reports in the reference patient populations. Conclusions and Relevance: These results suggest that shorter half-life and lower exposures to RTX in patients with MN may necessitate higher doses and/or changes to dosing frequency to optimize the relationships between serum concentrations and therapeutic effects.
Digital Natives as Budding Journalists: College TV Stations’ Uses of Twitter
Authors: Cozma Raluca , Hallaq Tom
Published: October 2018

This content analysis examines how award-winning student-run TV stations use Twitter to promote their work and to communicate with followers on campus and beyond. As digital natives and budding professionals, broadcast journalism students should showcase some of the best practices in social-media use. Variables under scrutiny include levels of activity and interactivity on Twitter feeds, popularity of accounts, and focus of tweets. The findings are alarming and suggest that journalism education lags behind shifts in the industry.
Exact calculation of axisymmetric capillary bridge properties between two unequal-sized spherical particles
Authors: Nguyen Hien Nho Gia , Millet Olivier , Gagneux Gérard
Published: October 2018

A calculation method for the meridional profile of axisymmetric bridges between two spheres of different size is introduced in this manuscript. From geometrical data of the capillary bridge, such as the neck radius and boundary conditions (filling and contact angle), the shape of the capillary bridge is calculated analytically as a solution of the Young–Laplace equation. Its free surfaces, of constant mean curvature, may be classified into portions of nodoid, unduloid, and other limit cases. Moreover, other properties of the liquid bridge can be computed analytically, such as the associated capillary force exerted on the solid surfaces, liquid volume, mean curvature, and free surface area.
Experience Sampling Methods: A Discussion of Critical Trends and Considerations for Scholarly Advancement
Authors: Gabriel Allison S. , Podsakoff Nathan P. , Beal Daniel J. , Scott Brent A. , Sonnentag Sabine , Trougakos John P. , Butts Marcus M.
Published: October 2018

In the organizational sciences, scholars are increasingly using experience sampling methods (ESM) to answer questions tied to intraindividual, dynamic phenomenon. However, employing this method to answer organizational research questions comes with a number of complex—and often difficult—decisions surrounding: (1) how the implementation of ESM can advance or elucidate prior between-person theorizing at the within-person level of analysis, (2) how scholars should effectively and efficiently assess within-person constructs, and (3) analytic concerns regarding the proper modeling of interdependent assessments and trends while controlling for potentially confounding factors. The current paper addresses these challenges via a panel of seven researchers who are familiar not only with implementing this methodology but also related theoretical and analytic challenges in this domain. The current paper provides timely, actionable insights aimed toward addressing several complex issues that scholars often face when implementing ESM in their research.
Comparison of two biometers: A swept-source optical coherence tomography and an optical low-coherence reflectometry biometer
Authors: El Chehab Hussam , Agard Emilie , Dot Corinne
Published: October 2018

Purpose:

The technological improvements in optical biometers have made cataract surgery evolve to the level of refractive surgery. This study assessed the correlation and agreement between a biometer using swept-source optical coherence tomography technology (IOLMaster 700; Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany) and a biometer using optical low-coherence reflectometry (Lenstar; Haag Streit, Koeniz, Switzerland).

Procedures:

Optical biometric measurements were taken with the IOLMaster 700 and the Lenstar on 129 eyes of 129 patients referred for cataract surgery. We compared biometric data (axial length, mean keratometry, central pachymetry, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, and horizontal white-to-white measurement) and the emmetropic intraocular lens power calculated with SRK/T and Haigis formulas. Correlation and agreement for these parameters were evaluated.

Results:

Only anterior chamber depth measurements (3.05 ± 0.07 vs 3.07 ± 0.07, p < 0.001) and the white-to-white measurement (11.97 ± 0.07 vs 12.06 ± 0.07, p < 0.001) differed significantly between the machines. Correlations and agreements were excellent, with perfect agreement for axial length measurement ( r = 1, intraclass correlation coefficient = 1). Emmetropic intraocular lens power did not differ between devices with SRK/T formula (20.94 ± 0.51 vs 20.92 ± 0.50, p = 0.51). With Haigis formula, there was a statistically significant difference (21.04 ± 0.52 vs 20.84 ± 0.52, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

This study suggests that there is a very high correlation and agreement for the biometric measurements and calculation of intraocular lens implant power with the SRK/T formula.
Management of diabetic macular edema patients in clinical practice in Spain
Authors: Abreu-Gonzalez Rodrigo , Gallego-Pinazo Roberto , Abraldes Maximino , Pinilla Isabel , Lopez-Galvez María I
Published: October 2018

Purpose:

Diabetic macular edema is the main cause of blindness in diabetic patients. Vascular endothelial growth factor is involved in diabetic macular edema pathogenesis. Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors are an important option in diabetic macular edema therapy. This survey investigates actual clinical practice in diabetic macular edema in Spain.

Methods:

An expert advisory panel of 17 Spanish ophthalmologists developed a 30-item anonymous questionnaire about diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up in diabetic macular edema. A total of 137 ophthalmologists from 10 Spanish regions completed the questionnaire online.

Results:

Almost all of the respondents (99.3%) record the measured visual acuity and perform biomicroscopic anterior (94.9%) and posterior (91.2%) segment examinations. Similarly, 100% of responding ophthalmologists always/almost always or frequently perform optical coherence tomography. Most respondents (65%) always/almost always or frequently perform a retinography. More than 50% rarely perform fluorescein angiography. Nearly, all (96.4%) of the specialists responded that, in center-involved diabetic macular edema, the first treatment is an anti–vascular endothelial growth factor drug. For corticosteroids, the first choice of most respondents (91.2%) was the dexamethasone implant. In the follow-up, almost all (96.4%) specialists record the measured visual acuity and most also perform biomicroscopic anterior (82.5%) and posterior (83.2%) segment examination.

Conclusion:

This survey shows the actual clinical practice in diabetic macular edema in Spain, finding that anti–vascular endothelial growth factor therapy is frequently used, and that diagnosis, treatments, and follow-up examinations used by specialists are homogeneous and according to diabetic macular edema guidelines.
An unusual case of acoria in Sturge–Weber syndrome
Authors: Rahhal-Ortuño Miriam , Díaz-Llopis Manuel , Alonso-Muñoz Luis , Rahhal MS
Published: October 2018

We present an unusual case of Sturge–Weber syndrome whose main clinical manifestations were nevus flammeus, seizures, glaucoma, and acoria. To our knowledge, the combination of Sturge–Weber syndrome and acoria has not been previously reported.
The Amylases of Insects
Authors: Da Lage Jean-Luc
Published: October 2018

Alpha-amylases are major digestive enzymes that act in the first step of maltopolysaccharide digestion. In insects, these enzymes have long been studied for applied as well as purely scientific purposes. In many species, amylases are produced by multiple gene copies. Rare species are devoid of Amy gene. They are predominantly secreted in the midgut but salivary expression is also frequent, with extraoral activity. Enzymological parameters are quite variable among insects, with visible trends according to phylogeny: Coleopteran amylases have acidic optimum activity, whereas dipteran amylases have neutral preference and lepidopteran ones have clear alkaline preference. The enzyme structure shows interesting variations shaped by evolutionary convergences, such as the recurrent loss of a loop involved in substrate handling. Many works have focused on the action of plant amylase inhibitors on pest insect amylases, in the frame of crop protection by transgenesis. It appears that sensitivity or resistance to inhibitors is finely tuned and very specific and that amylases and their inhibitors have coevolved. The multicopy feature of insect amylases appears to allow tissue-specific or stage-specific regulation, but also to broaden enzymological abilities, such as pH range, and to overcome plant inhibitory defenses.
Yarning circles and social media activism
Authors: Carlson Bronwyn , Frazer Ryan
Published: October 2018

The practices of ‘yarning’ and ‘yarning circles’ are relatively common across groups of Indigenous Australians. This practice broadly consists of storytelling within a respectful and deeply democratic space, where each participant takes turns in speaking, and in which the direction of discussion may meander, fixate, or take divergent and creative lines of flight. The existing literature has explored the use of ‘yarning circles’ in promoting both ethical, culturally appropriate research practices and effective, culturally relevant pedagogical techniques. However, there has yet to be any work to investigate the relationship between yarning circles and Indigenous activism. This article aims to fill this gap by exploring the nexus between Indigenous online activism and yarning circles. In the first section, we outline work that has engaged in different ways with the use of yarning circles. Next, we offer our own, more political conceptualisation of ‘yarning circles’ through a reading of Paolo Freire’s work on conscientisation and, in particular, his concept of the ‘culture circle’. Finally, we draw on this new conceptualisation to explore an actual case of the use of yarning circles in political collaboration and conscientisation. Through this analysis, we discuss a number of convergent and divergent experiences shared by Indigenous activists.
Surviving a zombie apocalypse: Leadership configurations in extreme contexts
Authors: Buchanan David A , Hällgren Markus
Published: October 2018

What can the classic zombie movie, Day of the Dead, tell us about leadership? In our analysis of this film, we explore leadership behaviours in an extreme context – a zombie apocalypse where survivors face persistent existential threat. Extreme context research presents methodological challenges, particularly with regard to fieldwork. The use of films as proxy case studies is one way in which to overcome these problems, and for researchers working in an interpretivist perspective, ‘social science fiction’ is increasingly used as a source of inspiration and ideas. The contribution of our analysis concerns highlighting the role of leadership configurations in extreme contexts, an approach not previously addressed in this field, but one that has greater explanatory power than current perspectives. In Day of the Dead, we observe several different configurations – patterns of leadership styles and behaviours – emerging, shifting and overlapping across the phases of the narrative, each with radically different consequences for the group of survivors. These observations suggest a speculative theory of leadership configurations and their implications in extreme contexts, for exploring further, with other methods.
EU equality law after a decade of austerity
Authors: Benedi Lahuerta Sara , Zbyszewska Ania
Published: October 2018

This article discusses the evolution of European Union (EU) legislation and policymaking methods during the 10 years since the onset of the financial and economic crisis in 2007/2008. In the EU, this period has been characterized by politics of stimulus, austerity, and recovery. Against the backdrop of longer term developments in equality law, we consider how the crisis context influenced this field’s evolution. Through the analysis of a range of legislative and policy proposals, we show that the progressive softening or hybridization of equality law over this period has gone hand in hand with the stronger articulation of equality objectives in terms of a “business case.” While this approach appears to have enabled the proliferation of policy and legal instruments and expanded the reach of equality law into areas where the EU has limited competence to legislate, it has also elevated instrumental economic goals for action at expense of human rights or social rationales. This longer term tendency is also present in the recently adopted European Pillar of Social Rights, and the accompanying policy documentation, which have been hailed as carrying potential to infuse more coherence and to rebalance the social and economic rationales that the EU integration project has unevenly promoted over the years. Mindful that it is still too early for conclusive judgments, we suggest, however, that the transformative possibilities the Pillar carries are likely to be undermined by its soft and economically oriented thrust.
The pirarucu net: Artefact, animism and the technical object
Authors: Sautchuk Carlos Emanuel
Published: October 2018

This article explores the decision of a group of Amazonian lake fishermen to ban the use of nets to catch the pirarucu fish as part of an official agreement. It discusses the approach to artefacts found in the agentive turn and in recent explorations of Amazonian animism in Anthropology. It adopts the concept of technical object influenced by the anthropological approach to technology and in line with the ontogenetic perspective of Gilbert Simondon. The main focus is the way in which the fishermen compare the different modes of existence of the harpoon and the net. For them, the pirarucu net is a poor way to catch fish since it captures by itself, which is a form of cowardice in relation to the fish and drives them away. The ethnography centres on the operation of these objects and the way in which different properties of the fishermen and fish emerge through these processes.
Rising tides? Data capture, platform accumulation, and new monopolies in the digital music economy
Authors: Meier Leslie M , Manzerolle Vincent R
Published: October 2018

This article examines the roles of platform-based distribution and user data in the digital music economy. Drawing on trade press, newspaper coverage, and a consumer privacy complaint, we offer a critical analysis of tech-music partnerships forged between Samsung and Jay-Z (2013), Apple iTunes Store and U2 (2014), Tidal and Kanye West (2016), and Apple Music and Drake (2017). In these cases, information technology (IT) companies supported album releases, and music was used to generate user data and attention: logics of data and attention capture were interwoven. The IT and music industries have adapted their business strategies to what we conceptualize as platform-based capital accumulation or ‘platform accumulation’, and models centred on controlling access and extracting rent have enabled the emergence of new monopolies and IT gatekeepers.
Experimental investigation on hydrodynamic performance of a dual pontoon–power take-off type wave energy converter integrated with floating breakwaters
Authors: Ning Dezhi , Zhao Xuanlie , Zhao Ming , Kang Haigui
Published: October 2018

As an extension of the single pontoon wave energy converter–type breakwater, a wave energy converter–type breakwater equipped with dual pontoon–power take-off system is proposed to broaden the effective frequency range (for transmission coefficient KT < 0.5 and capture width ratio η > 20%). The wave energy converter–type breakwater with dual pontoon–power take-off system consists of a pair of heave-type pontoons and power take-off systems for which the power take-off system is installed to harvest the kinetic energy of heave motion of the pontoon. In this paper, we experimentally confirm the advantage of the wave energy converter–type breakwater with dual pontoon–power take-off system over the one with a single pontoon–power take-off system. Both wave energy converter–type breakwater with dual pontoon–power take-off system and that with single pontoon–power take-off system are tested in regular waves. A (electronic) current controller–magnetic powder brake system is used to simulate the power take-off system. The characteristics of power take-off system are investigated and results showed that the power take-off system can simulate the (approximate) Coulomb damping force well. Experimental results reveal that the wave energy converter–type breakwater with dual pontoon–power take-off system broadens the effective frequency range compared with the single pontoon–power take-off system with the same pontoon volume (i.e. the displacement of the pontoon). Specifically, the transmission coefficient of the system is smaller while the system in relative longer waves. Furthermore, the capture width ratio of system can be improved.
Big data analytics of safety assessment for a port of entry: A case study in Keelung Harbor
Authors: Tsou Ming-Cheng
Published: October 2018

In order to reduce accidents at the port of entry that may be due to weather factors, it is necessary to not only improve navigation skills but also use current advanced nautical technology to provide inbound vessels with the necessary information and establish a safety assessment model for inbound vessels to assist port authorities in effective control. Therefore, this study plans to use automatic identification system data collected around Keelung Harbor as a basis, coupled with meteorological data with time, and then to use a geographic information system and a decision tree algorithm in big data analytics. This enables analysis of the navigation characteristics of all types of vessels that have entered Keelung Harbor under different meteorological conditions, thereby establishing a safety assessment model for the port of entry in Keelung Harbor. The model can not only provide the vessel traffic service control personnel with real-time analysis on whether the behavior of an inbound vessel at a given time has abnormalities but also be used to establish an operation model for port traffic flow.
Organizational speed as a dynamic capability: Toward a holistic perspective
Authors: Dykes Bernadine J , Hughes-Morgan Margaret , Kolev Kalin D , Ferrier Walter J
Published: October 2018

Current research on organizational speed has been disjointed, which has left organizational speed as an underdeveloped area of study. In this essay, we expand the view of organizational speed as a multidimensional gestalt-like construct that may influence firm performance and competitive advantage. We offer a capability-based definition of organizational speed and identify and review the building blocks of organizational speed. We propose new avenues and questions for future research based on our perspective.
When does it pay to stand out as stand-up? Competitive contingencies in the corporate social performance–corporate financial performance relationship
Authors: Gras David , Krause Ryan
Published: October 2018

We develop a competitive contingency model of the relationship between corporate social performance and corporate financial performance, focusing on the moderating effects of industry-based factors. We conceptualize corporate social performance as a form of strategic differentiation and predict that the positive link between corporate social performance and corporate financial performance is strongest when a firm competes in an environment that is not conducive to corporate social performance. Analyses of data from roughly 2500 publicly traded firms between 2002 and 2009 support the moderating effects of industry munificence and social orientation. We discuss the implications of our contingency model for firms seeking a competitive advantage through corporate social performance.
Evaluating the Benefits of the TimeSlips Creative Storytelling Program for Persons With Varying Degrees of Dementia Severity
Authors: Vigliotti Alyssa A. , Chinchilli Vernon M. , George Daniel R.
Published: October 2018

Objectives:

To evaluate the benefits of TimeSlips, a group creative storytelling intervention used in residential care settings, on quality of life (QOL), interactions with caregivers, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores for persons with varying degrees of dementia severity.

Design:

A mixed-methods approach was used weekly over a 6-month period to measure QOL and resident–caregiver relationships.

Setting:

A dementia care unit in Pennsylvania.

Participants:

Twenty-two residents with mild-to-severe dementia.

Measurements:

Dementia severity and QOL were assessed using the MMSE and Greater Cincinnati Chapter Well-Being Observational Tool. Resident–caregiver interactions were analyzed using a modified version of the Quality of Interactions Schedule. Semistructured interviews were conducted upon the study’s conclusion.

Results:

Quantitatively, participants initially classified with mild–moderate dementia were significantly more likely to experience positive benefits compared to those initially classified with severe dementia. There were no significant changes in dementia severity over time. There was also no change in QOL or resident–caregiver relationships for those with mild–moderate dementia over time, although there was a decrease in certain measures of QOL and resident–caregiver relationships for those with severe dementia. Qualitative analysis identified consistent benefits for residents with both mild–moderate and severe dementia over time.

Conclusions:

Mixed-methods analyses helped identify benefits of TimeSlips for persons at all levels of dementia severity, but particularly for those with milder dementia. Such an observation helps demonstrate how arts-based programs like TimeSlips can uniquely benefit people with advanced memory impairments and thereby support QOL.
Torque modeling and characteristic analysis of electromagnetic piezoelectric hybrid-driven 3-degree-of-freedom motor
Authors: Li Zheng , Guo Peng , Han Ruihua , Wang Qunjing
Published: October 2018

The electromagnetic piezoelectric hybrid-driven 3-degree-of-freedom motor is a new multi-degree-of-freedom motor. To further analyze the torque characteristics of the electromagnetic piezoelectric hybrid-drive 3-degree-of-freedom motor. First, the principle and basic structure of the hybrid-drive motor are introduced, and the displacement and pressure distribution of the stator–rotor contact surface are obtained by analytical method. Based on this, the torque model of the piezoelectric stator-drive motor is obtained. Then, the air-gap magnetic field model of the permanent magnet rotor is obtained by analytical method, and the electromagnetic stator-torque model is obtained. Finally, the torque model of the electromagnetic piezoelectric hybrid-drive 3-degree-of-freedom motor is established by vector synthesis. The effects of piezoelectric stator mounting position angle, stator–rotor contact materials, and preload on motor torque are analyzed by simulation. The advantages of electromagnetic piezoelectric hybrid drive are analyzed, and the rationality of the model is preliminarily verified. It lays the foundation for further optimization design and performance improvement of electromagnetic piezoelectric hybrid-drive 3-degree-of-freedom motor.
Developing informed consent materials for non-English-speaking participants: An analysis of four professional firm translations from English to Spanish
Authors: Brelsford Kathleen Marie , Ruiz Ernesto , Beskow Laura
Published: October 2018

Background/Aims:

An increasing body of research is being conducted with non-English-speaking subjects. Study-related materials, including those essential for obtaining informed consent, must often be translated from English into other languages. In this study, we sought to examine the types of issues that may arise when consent materials are translated from English to Spanish.

Methods:

Drawing on expertise from five individuals associated with our research team, four of whom are native Spanish speakers of different dialects of Spanish, we crafted translations of our own consent materials for biobanking using a rigorous, multi-step process involving both forward and back translation. We then systematically compared our translations to those produced by four professional translation firms to identify potential concerns in our own and the professional translations.

Results:

We identified three primary types of problems of relevance for researchers conducting studies where translation of written information is required. These included nonequivalent registers (in particular, the introduction of more complicated language), errors of omission (reducing the clarity of the information), and changes that altered the substantive meaning of the information.

Conclusion:

Our findings highlight the importance of working with translators who not only possess “textbook” knowledge of both languages but also an appreciation of the sociocultural factors that affect how people interpret and understand meaning. Moreover, translators who have a basic understanding of research are more likely to accurately convey essential research concepts. We describe a series of steps researchers can take that may help to improve the quality of translated materials.
Cost-effectiveness of sacral nerve stimulation and percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation for faecal incontinence
Authors: Hounsome Natalia , Roukas Chris
Published: October 2018

Background:

Subcutaneous sacral nerve stimulation is recommended by the United Kingdom (UK) National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a second-line treatment for patients with faecal incontinence who failed conservative therapy. Sacral nerve stimulation is an invasive procedure associated with complications and reoperations. This study aimed to investigate whether delivering less invasive and less costly percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation prior to sacral nerve stimulation is cost-effective.

Methods:

A decision analytic model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation with subsequent subcutaneous sacral nerve stimulation versus subcutaneous sacral nerve stimulation alone. The model was populated with effectiveness data from systematic reviews and cost data from randomized studies comparing both procedures in a UK National Health Service (NHS) setting.

Results:

Offering percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation prior to sacral nerve stimulation (compared with delivering sacral nerve stimulation straight away) was both more effective and less costly in all modeled scenarios. The estimated savings from offering percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation first were £662–£5,697 per patient. The probability of this strategy being cost-effective was around 80% at £20,000–£30,000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY).

Conclusion:

Our analyses suggest that offering patients percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation prior to sacral nerve stimulation can be both cost-effective and cost-saving in the treatment of faecal incontinence.
New insights and long-term safety of tocilizumab in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Jones Graeme , Panova Elena
Published: October 2018

Rheumatoid arthritis is a leading musculoskeletal cause of disability in Western society. Therapeutic options have expanded rapidly with the advent of biological agents as treatment options. One of these, tocilizumab, targets the interleukin-6 receptor and has been approved since the late 2000s in many jurisdictions. This approval was based on 6–12 month trials. It is now appropriate to look at longer-term studies and what new insights they have provided into this agent. Data are based largely on observational studies with their well-known limitations as well as some further randomized trials and provide a number of important observations regarding both efficacy and safety. In conclusion, the longer-term data suggest tocilizumab efficacy increases over time for both signs and symptoms and radiographic change. It is also corticosteroid sparing. The safety data are consistent with the shorter-term trials and are largely reassuring but some questions still remain over cardiovascular safety and cancer risk.
Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number in Peripheral Blood in the First Trimester of Pregnancy and Different Preeclampsia Clinical Phenotypes Development: A Pilot Study
Authors: Busnelli Andrea , Lattuada Debora , Ferrari Stefania , Reschini Marco , Colciaghi Barbara , Somigliana Edgardo , Fedele Luigi , Ferrazzi Enrico
Published: October 2018

Inflammation and oxidative stress are intrinsically linked to early poor placentation, typical of pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia associated with intrauterine growth restriction (PE-IUGR). Low mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) in peripheral blood constitutes a good peripheral surrogate marker of inflammation and oxidative stress. On these basis, we explored a possible correlation between mtDNAcn in peripheral blood in the first trimester of pregnancy and the PE-IUGR onset. To shed light on this issue, we setup a nested case–control study from a prospective cohort of pregnant women undergoing first-trimester aneuploidies screening. Two groups of patients affected by PE classified according to the clinical phenotype were identified: (1) patients who developed PE-IUGR and (2) patients who developed PE associated with appropriate for gestational age intrauterine fetal growth (PE-AGAf). Controls were women with a physiologic pregnancy matched to cases on the basis of age (±6 months, ratio 2:1). Mitochondrial DNA copy number was quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction and normalized to nuclear DNA. The median (interquartile range) mtDNAcn in peripheral blood in patients with PE-IUGR (n = 12) and in patients with PE-AGAf (n = 16) was 70 (44-97) and 108 (95-145), respectively ( P = .004). Both these values were significantly lower than that detected in the control group (161[133-183], P < .001). The area under the receiver–operator curve for PE-IUGR and PE-AGAf were 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.88-1.00, P < .001) and 0.81 (95%CI: 0.70-0.91, P < .001), respectively. In conclusion, MtDNAcn in peripheral blood resulted significantly lower both in patients affected by PE-IUGR and in those affected by PE-AGAf when compared to controls. The accuracy of this biomarker resulted particularly good in predicting PE-IUGR.
‘Blood in pee’ campaign: Increased demand on secondary care with no change in cancers diagnosed
Authors: Patel Kunjan , Hall Susan Jane , Shraddha Kamath , Stanford Richard , Williams Simon , Lund Jon
Published: October 2018

Objective:

As part of the national Be Clear on Cancer campaign, the ‘blood in pee’ campaign was launched in 2013. We aimed to evaluate the impact of the campaign on 2-week wait (2WW) referrals and the resulting diagnoses of malignancy at a single trust, and secondly, to evaluate the socio-economic background of patients referred.

Patients and methods:

Suspected cancer 2WW patients in the 3 months pre- and post-campaign were included. Demographics, investigations and diagnoses were recorded. A Kolmogorov–Smirnov test demonstrated a normal distribution. The data were treated as parametric and analysed with the unpaired Student’s t-test.

Results:

Referrals for visible haematuria significantly increased by 52% from 135 pre-campaign to 205 post-campaign ( p = 0.03). There was a fall in the proportion of patients diagnosed with malignancy from 20.27% pre-campaign to 15.36% post-campaign. The mean index of multiple deprivation score of referrals did not change: p = 0.43.

Conclusion:

This campaign has increased referrals without increasing the proportion of malignancies diagnosed, placing large demand on services without benefit or extra funding. Nor has the campaign effectively reached deprived socio-economic groups. There is little evidence as to the efficacy of untargeted cancer awareness campaigns and further work is needed to improve their pick-up of malignancies.

Level of evidence:

2C
A Comparison of Rural Educational Disadvantage in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand Using OECD’s PISA
Authors: Sullivan Kevin , McConney Andrew , Perry Laura B.
Published: October 2018

This study compares rural educational disadvantage across Australia, Canada, and New Zealand using data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Across the three countries, student reading literacy and school learning environments are less positive in rural communities than in urban. Furthermore, rural disadvantage in educational outcomes (reading) and opportunities is greater in Australia than Canada or New Zealand. This could be seen as surprising as student socioeconomic status (SES), typically a strong predictor of educational outcomes, is similar for rural communities in Australia and Canada, but lower in New Zealand. Rural school principals in Australia are most likely among the three countries to report that shortages of teaching personnel hinder learning. This could suggest that policies and structures can play a role in ameliorating or exacerbating rural educational disadvantage. We conclude with questions and recommendations for future research.
Bring the Noize: Syndicate and Role-Identity Co-Creation During Crowdfunding
Authors: Frydrych Denis , Bock Adam J.
Published: October 2018

This study reports the first multi-year, longitudinal crowdfunding case study. We use multiple data sources to explore micro-processes before, during, and after a crowdfunding campaign. We focus on the entrepreneur’s experience to generate micro- and meso-level theories about a crowdfunding process. A crowdfunding campaign is more than the sum of platform and site characteristics. Entrepreneurial behavior, informed by role-identity development, drives campaign outcomes. Role-identity may be fluid as the entrepreneur strives to generate a campaign syndicate. We propose three strategies for syndicate-based identity formation. The results significantly extend knowledge on the crowdfunding process by revealing the unique activities and choices during role-identity adaptation. Entrepreneurs planning crowdfunding campaigns should recognize the importance of role-identity in the formation of a syndicate that will support the campaign. An external website accompanies this article to make the extensive case data transparent and accessible.
“They Want the Spanish but They Don’t Want the Mexicans”: Whiteness and Consumptive Contact in an Oregon Spanish Immersion School
Authors: Woody Ashley
Published: October 2018

Drawing from in-depth interviews with 18 white, black, Latinx, and multiracial parents whose children attend a Spanish immersion elementary school, the author examines the politics of race, class, and resistance in a historically white community that is experiencing an influx of nonwhites. Parental narratives reveal that many whites enrolled their children in Spanish immersion to capture cultural and economic benefits they associate with bilingualism and diversity. Interviews also suggest that white support for diversity is contingent on the condition that nonwhites provide carefully controlled diversity: one that benefits whites without threatening race and class hierarchies. The maintenance of white spatial and social segregation allowed whites to engage with families of color at the school primarily through consumptive contact, a form of interracial contact predicated upon whites’ perceptions about the material benefits their children will acquire through exposure to diversity and bilingualism. Consumptive contact allows whites to selectively consume aspects of Latin American cultures without facilitating the social and institutional inclusion of the groups associated with those cultures. Findings illuminate distinct economic motivations behind whites’ engagement communities of color, adding a material dimension to our understanding of whites’ racialized consumptive practices.
Lived Experiences of Iranian Cancer Patients After Survival: A Phenomenological Research
Authors: Abdollahimohammad Abdolghani , Firouzkouhi Mohammadreza , Naderifar Mahin
Published: October 2018

Background:

There are significant issues in the treatment of cancer patients. Despite these issues, there is still room to explore unique lived experiences after survival.

Aim:

This study aimed to explore the experiences of cancer survivors after chemotherapy.

Method:

A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted in Zabol, Iran. A purposeful sample of 15 cancer survivors was selected to gather data using semistructured interviews. Colaizzi’s method was used for data analysis.

Results:

Four themes were extracted from the interviews. These were altered body image, mood swings, uncertain and dark future, and choosing a solitary lifestyle.

Conclusion:

Cancer patients experience various physical, psychological, and social changes including stress, anger, nervousness, despair, worthlessness, depression, social isolation, and even the wish to die after chemotherapy.
Discovery of Se-rich canfieldite, Ag8Sn(S,Se)6, from the Shuangjianzishan Ag–Pb–Zn deposit, NE China: A multimethodic chemical and structural study
Authors: Zhai Degao , Bindi Luca , Voudouris Panagiotis C. , Liu Jiajun , Tombros Stylianos F. , Li Kuan
Published: October 2018

During a study of the ore minerals belonging to the recently discovered Shuangjianzishan Ag–Pb–Zn deposit in NE China, we have discovered exceptional selenium enrichment in canfieldite (up to 11.6 wt.% of Se). Incorporation of Se into canfieldite has been investigated by an integrated approach using field emission scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Canfieldite has been identified as one of the dominant Ag-bearing ore minerals in the studied deposit, which occurs mostly in slate-hosted vein type Ag–Pb–Zn ore bodies. Selenium is either homogeneously or, remarkably, heterogeneously distributed in the different canfieldite fragments studied. Chemical variations of Se are mostly attributable to a series of retrograde reactions resulting in diverse decomposition and exsolution of primary phases during cooling, or alternatively, related to influxes of Se-rich fluids during the formation of canfieldite. To evaluate the effects of the Se-for-S substitution in the structure, a crystal of Se-rich canfieldite [Ag7.98Sn1.02(S4.19Se1.81)Σ6.00] was investigated. The unit-cell parameters are:a= 10.8145(8) Å andV= 1264.8(3) Å3. The structure was refined in the space groupF$\bar{4}$3mtoR1= 0.0315 for 194 independent reflections, with 20 parameters. The crystal structure of Se-rich canfieldite was found to be topologically identical to that of pure canfieldite. If the short Ag–Ag contacts are ignored (due to the disorder), the two Ag atoms in the structure can be considered as three-fold (Ag1) and four-fold (Ag2) coordinated. Tin adopts a regular tetrahedral coordination. As in the case of Te-rich canfieldite, the refinement of the site-occupancy factor indicates that Se is disordered over the three anion positions.