bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Tinnitus with Tocainide Hydrochloride
Authors: Emmett John R. , Shea John J.
Published: April 2016

Intravenous (IV) injection of lidocaine was used in patients with tinnitus for combined treatment with oral anticonvulsants carbamazepine (Tegretol) and primidone (Mysoline). In most cases, the high complication rate with these drugs precluded their long‐term use. Tocainide hydrochloride (HCI), a primary amine analog of lidocaine, can be taken orally and was evaluated for the use in the treatment of tinnitus. A double‐blind study in which one group received 200 mg tocainide HCI four times a day and one group received a placebo revealed no significant differences in tinnitus relief between the two groups. A single‐blind study in which 600 mg tocainide HCI four times a day was administered showed 80% to 90% tinnitus relief in five of the six patients who tolerated the drug. Tocainide HCI treatment of tinnitus is promising.
Histiocytosis X
Authors: Schuknecht Harold F. , Papaspyrou Spyros
Published: April 2016

Histiocytosis X is characterized by a proliferation of cytologically benign histiocytes and occurs in a severe form (type 1) with a short course and poor prognosis and a milder form (type 2) with a protracted course and favorable prognosis. Otolaryngologists will encounter the type 2 form of the disease and must include it in the differential diagnosis of osteolytic lesions of the skull.
Otologic Manifestations of Wegener's Granulomatosis
Authors: McCaffrey Thomas V. , McDonald Thomas J. , Facer George W. , DeRemee Richard A.
Published: April 2016

Review of 112 patients with Wegener's granulomatosis showed that 21 (19%) had ear involvement. Conductive deafness, which was present in all 21 patients, was due to serous middle ear fluid, suppurative otitis media with thickening of the tympanic membrane, perforation of the tympanic membrane, or granulation tissue in the middle ear space. Nine patients also had sensorineural hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss was improved in five of the nine patients after control of the disease with prednisone and cyclophosphamide.
New Dimensions of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Authors: Epley John M.
Published: April 2016

Twenty‐nine patients who demonstrated the classic nystagmus of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in the provocative, ear‐down position had a high incidence of concurrent symptoms. These included vertigo provoked by arising, bending over, head rotation, linear acceleration, and vertical oscillation. Some have not been reported previously in relation to this syndrome. Elimination of both concurrent and classic symptoms via singular neurectomy in nine patients indicates a common pathophysiologic mechanism, probably involving cupulolithiasis in the posterior semicircular canal. These concurrent symptoms should be considered part of the syndrome.
Lymphatics of the Floor of the Mouth and Periosteum: Anatomic Studies with Possible Clinical Correlations
Authors: Ossoff Robert H. , Bytell David E. , Hast Malcolm H. , Sisson George A.
Published: April 2016

An anatomic study is made to determine the role of the periosteum in the lymphatic drainage of the floor of the mouth in the dog. Microsurgical techniques are used to cannulate and perfuse a lymphatic vessel. Pathways are dissected to the proximity of the mandible, where a full‐thickness mucoperiosteal flap is elevated. It is found that the floor‐of‐the‐mouth lymphatics drained through the periosteum prior to entering the cervical lymphatic chain.
The Nutrition Problem in Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Johns Michael E.
Published: April 2016

The nutritional status of the patient with cancer of the head and neck is subject to multiple stress. The nutritional status of such a patient is an admixture of the patient's personal hygiene, his or her neoplasm, the treatment of his or her neoplasm, and the complications of such treatment. It has been suggested the restoration of positive nitrogen balance through aggressive nutritional hyperalimentation will restore immunocompetence, enhance the clinical response to treatment, and reduce the frequency of complications. Despite this anecdotal data, controlled studies are needed to show that significant benefit to the patient will justify the added costs of nutritional support in terms of manpower costs, additional days of hospitalization, and increased monies spent on elemental diets.
Malignant Change of Laryngeal Papillomas: A Case Report
Authors: Keim Robert J.
Published: April 2016

A major controversy surrounding juvenile papilloma is whether or not these lesions ever spontaneously undergo malignant change. One view contends that malignant change never takes place unless the lesion is irradiated.

Presented is a 22‐year‐old man who suddenly develops features of extensive malignant invasion of his neck and mediastinum but has no history of irradiation.
The Clinical Application of Acoustic Distortion Products
Authors: Ohlms Laurie A. , Lonsbury‐Martin B. L. , Martin G. K.
Published: April 2016

Otoacoustic emissions provide an objective measure of hair‐cell function that is independent of retrocochlear activity. Because of their frequency specificity, distortion‐product emissions have great potential for clinical use. The present report describes the results of initial studies in patients with known cochlear or retrocochlear disease, diagnosed with standard otologic and audiologic tests. The cochlear group consisted of those diagnosed with noise‐induced hearing loss, Meniere's disease, or hereditary hearing loss, whereas patients with acoustic neuroma comprised a retrocochlear group. A final group consisted of patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss of unknown origin. Detailed distortion‐product emission testing included the computer‐controlled acquisition of “audiograms” and response/growth functions. The outcomes of these studies demonstrated that distortion‐product emissions provide a noninvasive, frequency‐specific test of sensory‐cell function that objectively depicts the boundary between normal and abnormal hearing. These emissions were also able to effectively track dynamic changes in progressive disease processes. Finally, as a screening tool, acoustic distortion products provide an objective means of assessing cochlear status in infants and young children and in adults at risk for hearing loss. Because acoustic distortion products accurately measure the sensory component of a sensorineural hearing loss, distortion‐product testing may play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of cochlear dysfunction.
The Prognostic Value of round Window Electrical Stimulation in Cochlear Implant Patients
Authors: Waltzman Susan B. , Cohen Noel L. , Shapiro William H. , Hoffman Ronald A.
Published: April 2016

The use of preoperative round window stimulation has been advocated for its possible predictive value in cochlear implant patients. We have attempted to correlate cause of deafness, preoperative radiologic study, and postoperative stimulability and performance with preoperative stimulation. Round window stimulation procedures consisted of measurements of electrical thresholds and comfort levels, gap detection, and temporal difference limen. Radiologic studies were performed using high‐resolution computerized seml‐axial and coronal tomography with 1.5‐millimeter overlapping cuts. Patient performance was measured using a standard audiologic test battery. Sixteen postlingually, profoundly deaf adults who received the Nucleus multichannel cochlear implant were studied. All 16 patients who responded to preoperative stimulation had acceptable CT scans for the ear operated on and stimulated postoperatively with the prosthesis. The lowest level at which a patient could reliably detect a gap between two signals ranged from 10 to 150 milliseconds, which was not predictive. For the temporal difference limen task, the patients who could reliably identify the longer of two pulses when the difference was less than 100 milliseconds did achieve varying amounts of open‐set speech discrimination postoperatively. In summary, results indicate that the preoperative psychoacoustic electrical stimulation test battery provides useful information in predicting postoperative performance.
A Model of Waveform Reliability in Facial Nerve Electroneurography
Authors: Gutnick Howard N. , Kelleher Michael J. , Prass Richard L.
Published: April 2016

This study identifies four factors that should be considered when evaluating the reliability of new testing methods in facial nerve electroneurography (ENOG): (1) waveform peak‐to‐peak amplitude; (2) response variability; (3) statistical significance of day‐today test/retest differences; and (4) waveform morphology. These factors were applied to data gathered on seven normal subjects who had three trials of facial‐nerve ENOG on three separate test days in order to determine an optimal recording electrode montage. Both bipolar and monopolar recording‐electrode montages were used on the nasal alae and on the nasolabial crease. Resultant peak‐to‐peak amplitudes of combined motor action potentials were recorded and measured using a clinical evoked‐potential instrument. A biphasic waveform shape with optimal peak‐to‐peak amplitude was most consistently obtained by using the nasal alae as the recording point rather than the nasolabial crease. The contribution to the assessment of response reliability of each of the four factors is discussed.
Acoustic Neuroma: A Cost‐Effective Approach
Authors: Welling D. Bradley , Glasscock Michael E. , Woods Charles I. , Jackson C. Gary
Published: April 2016

A cost‐effective approach to the diagnosis and treatment of acoustic neuromas continues to evolve as diagnostic methods improve. In the past 7 months, since gadolinium‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become available in our practice, our screening and presurgical workup has changed. The purpose of this article is to outline the current philosophy of the senior authors in relation to acoustic neuroma management on the basis of 72 patients diagnosed from July 1988 to February 1989. With more sensitive diagnostic means, older less sensitive studies may be eliminated from the routine workup, thus maintaining cost‐effectiveness while preserving the highest standard of patient care. The body of this article will review our current use of the many available diagnostic options and emphasize a cost‐effective approach.
Rhinolift Operation in the Treatment of the Aging Nose
Authors: Slavit David H. , Upton Richard J. , Kern Eugene B. , McCaffrey Thomas V.
Published: April 2016

Disturbance of the normal relationship between the caudal border of the upper lateral cartilage and the cephalic margin of the lobular cartilage—the so‐called “cul‐de‐sac” area—can result in alar collapse and nasal airway obstruction. This may be caused by either the aging process or trauma, both surgical and nonsurgical. Rhinolift is a surgical procedure that was developed for the treatment of the aging ptotic nasal tip. We have applied this technique to patients with nasal airway obstruction resulting from alar collapse. Elevation of the cephalic margin of the lobular cartilage to a position superficial to the upper lateral cartilage restores the normal relationship between these two structures. The upper lateral cartilage then assists in stenting the vestibule open, and thereby improves nasal breathing. Over the past 10 years, 20 patients have had rhinolifts at our institution for the relief of nasal airway obstruction. Concomitant surgery included nasal septal reconstruction in 12 patients, polypectomy in one patient, and placement of a silicone rubber septal prosthesis for closure of a large septal perforation in three patients. Rhinolift was the sole procedure used for the correction of valvular pathology in 10 patients. The other 10 patients had modifications made in their upper lateral cartilage along with the rhinolift. Five patients described restoration of normal nasal breathing, while 14 patients showed partial symptomatic improvement. One patient reported no improvement in nasal breathing. Rhinolift is a safe effective surgical technique for functional improvement of nasal breathing in patients with alar collapse resulting from inadequate cartilaginous support.
The endoscopic repair of choanal atresia
Authors: Stankiewicz James A.
Published: April 2016

Since 1755, when choanal atresia was first described by Roederer, more than 300 papers have appeared in the literature dealing with various aspects of choanal atresia. Today's preferred methods of repair are transnasal and transpalatal. Each method has its advantages, disadvantages, proponents, and opponents. The main disadvantage of the transnasal procedure is limited vision, even with a microscope, especially in newborn infants, and the inability to adequately remove enough vomerine septal bone to prevent restenosis. Endoscopic transnasal repair of choanal atresia provides excellent visualization and the ability to perform exact surgery on patients of all ages. Described are four patients who underwent endoscopic repair of choanal atresia. Three of the four have patent nares, one patient after revision surgery. The technique is discussed along with its advantages and disadvantages relative to other surgical treatment modalities.
Early gold weight eyelid implantation for facial paralysis
Authors: Kartush Jack M. , Linstrom Christopher J. , McCann Peter M. , Graham Malcolm D.
Published: April 2016

Facial paralysis can result in serious keratopathy because of corneal exposure and inadequate lacrimation. Thirty‐seven patients underwent thirty‐eight gold weight upper lid implants to rehabilitate paralysis of the eyelid from various causes. When indicated, implantation was combined with lower lid ectropion repair, medial canthoplasty, or brow lift. Because of encouraging results in patients with longstanding facial paralysis, “early” implantation (within 1 month of paralysis) was offered to patients with severe lagophthalmos in whom (1) a severe neural injury was documented at the time of transtemporal surgery or (2) delayed, incomplete return of function was expected. Gold weight implantation resulted in excellent eyelid closure, protection, and cosmesis. There were no infections or extrusions. Lagophthalmos and exposure keratitis resolved or were significantly improved in all patients, and most were able to dispense with eyedrops and salves. Visual acuity improved in 95% of patients—a benefit even those without preoperative keratitis often achieved. A mild worsening of one patient's pre‐existing astigmatism developed, which resolved after reimplantation with a lighter weight. The implant is easily removed from those patients who, having undergone early implantation, eventually recover adequate function. Gold weight loading has become our procedure of choice for eyelid rehabilitation.
India’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS): Wages, Reservation Wages and Programme Participation in Chitradurga District of Karnataka
Authors: Sridhar Kala Seetharam , Reddy A.V.
Published: April 2016

We evaluate India’s Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Using data from extensive primary surveys of MGNREGS beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries in Chitradurga district of Karnataka, we find that women tended to benefit more from the programme. This is a major MGNREGS contribution because women have always been paid less than men in farms and construction sites. The wages NREGS beneficiaries got were well below their asking wages (which was ₹ 207 a day), being only ₹ 98 a day on an average. The estimation of reservation wages shows that higher current wages increase reservation wages. The elasticity of reservation wage with respect to work experience is negative.

We use a two-step regression model to understand the determinants of participation in the programme and of NREGS wages. We conclude that the programme has had a favourable impact on reducing rural poverty.
How the World Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Failure: Big Data, Resilience and Emergent Causality
Authors: Chandler David
Published: April 2016

In modernity, failure was the discourse of critique, today, it is increasingly the discourse of power: failure has changed its allegiances. Over the last two decades, failure has been enfolded into discourses of power, facilitating the development of new policy approaches. Foremost among governing approaches that seek to include and to govern through failure is that of resilience. This article seeks to reflect upon how the understanding of failure has become transformed in this process, particularly linking this transformation to the radical appreciation of contingency and of the limits to instrumental cause-and-effect approaches to rule. Whereas modernity was shaped by a contestation over failure as an epistemological boundary, under conditions of contingency and complexity there appears to be a new consensus on failure as an ontological necessity. This problematic ‘ontological turn’ is illustrated using examples of changing approaches to risks, especially anthropogenic understandings of environmental threats, formerly seen as ‘natural’.
ADHD Symptomatology and Criminal Behavior During Adolescence: Exploring the Mediating Role of School Factors
Authors: Watts Stephen J.
Published: April 2016

Prior research has shown that attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) relates to various negative outcomes in adolescence, including academic failure, behavioral problems at school, and criminal behavior. However, this line of research has generally failed to explore whether ADHD connects to criminal behavior through its effects on school factors. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), this study finds that a retrospective account of ADHD symptomatology during childhood and early adolescence predicts weakened school attachment, lower grades, and higher risks for both out-of-school suspension and crime. School attachment, grades, and out-of-school suspension have the expected effects on crime among females and males. Among females, these school factors mediate the effects of ADHD symptomatology on crime. The effect of ADHD symptomatology on crime among males remains significant when controlling for school factors. Implications of the findings for policy and theory are discussed.
Personal Development and Empowerment of Adolescents at Risk by Way of Prosocial Altruistic and Anonymous Activity: A Qualitative Perspective
Authors: Einat Tomer , Michaeli Neli
Published: April 2016

Sahi is a unique program in Israel for adolescents at risk, based on the premise that altruistic and anonymous activities help and strengthen people who carry them out. The current research examines the factors leading juveniles at risk to be involved in the program and analyzes the impact of such activities on their behavior and perception of future. The findings are as follows: (a) Altruistic and anonymous activity is perceived as self-satisfying and as initiating feelings of behavioral independency, and (b) such activity is related to the development of self-confidence, empathy, and positive perception of the future. Implications of these results and limitations of the study are discussed.
Soft spaces and soft outcomes: Experiences from City Strategy on local partnership working and measures of success
Authors: Adam Duncan , Green Anne E
Published: April 2016

This article uses the concepts of ‘soft spaces’ and ‘soft outcomes’ previously developed in relation to the study of local economic development and planning and applies them to the related, but not identical, field of localised welfare-to-work initiatives. The specific example of the City Strategy initiative in Great Britain provides evidence of these concepts in action. This initiative foregrounded the importance of local partnership working whereby various stakeholders joined together to operate in soft space to achieve commonly agreed goals. The article considers how local partnerships operate in soft space and the appropriate measures of success to be used when assessing the efficacy of their interventions. It is argued that both ‘soft outcomes’ and ‘hard outcomes’ can be used to understand success; but that assessment of soft spaces only in terms of ‘hard outcomes’ is far from comprehensive.
Recent advances in space-borne optical remote sensing systems for monitoring global terrestrial ecosystems
Authors: Dash Jadunandan , Ogutu Booker O.
Published: April 2016

Since the launch of the first Landsat satellite in the early 1970s, the field of space-borne optical remote sensing has made significant progress. Advances have been made in all aspects of optical remote sensing data, including improved spatial, temporal, spectral and radiometric resolutions, which have increased the uptake of these data by wider scientific communities. Flagship satellite missions such as NASA’s Terra and Aqua and ESA’s Envisat with their high temporal (<3days) and spectral (15–36 bands) resolutions opened new opportunities for routine monitoring of various aspects of terrestrial ecosystems at the global scale and have provided greater understanding of critical biophysical processes in the terrestrial ecosystem. The launch of new satellite sensors such as Landsat 8 and the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Sentinel missions (e.g. Sentinel 2 with improved spatial resolution (10–60 m) and potential revisit time of five days) is set to revolutionise the availability and use of remote sensing data in global terrestrial ecosystem monitoring. Furthermore, the recent move towards use of constellations of nanosatellites (e.g. the Flock missions by Planet Labs) to collect on-demand high spatial and temporal resolution optical remote sensing data would enable uptake of these data for operational monitoring. As a result of increase in data availability, optical remote sensing data are now increasingly used to support a number of operational services (e.g. land monitoring, atmosphere monitoring and climate change studies). However, many challenges still remain in exploiting the growing volume of optical remote sensing data to monitor global terrestrial ecosystems. These challenges include ensuring the highest data quality both in terms of the sensitivity of sensors and the derived biophysical products, affordability and availability of the data and continuity of data acquisition. This review provides an overview of the developments in space-borne optical remote sensing in the past decade and discusses a selection of aspects of global terrestrial ecosystems where the data are currently used. It concludes by highlighting some of the challenges and opportunities of using optical remote sensing data in monitoring global terrestrial ecosystems.
Modelling heat transfer inside an autoclave: Effect of radiation
Authors: Kluge Jimmy Nils Erik , Lundström TS , Westerberg LG , Nyman T
Published: April 2016

In this work, computational fluid dynamics simulations are performed to predict the temperature distribution on a part during an autoclave run. Data from an experimental study are used as input to the simulations and also for comparison with the numerical results. A conjugate heat transfer approach was used for the simulations, where best agreement with experiments was obtained from the simulation that included thermal radiation and utilized an experimentally obtained velocity profile as inlet velocity. A yet more detailed inlet velocity profile and more advanced turbulent model could result in an even better agreement.
Linguistic Demands of the Oral Directions for Administering the WISC-IV and WISC-V
Authors: Cormier Damien C. , Wang Kun , Kennedy Kathleen E.
Published: April 2016

As the diversity of the school-age population in Canada continues to increase, it is important for school psychologists to consider the potential influence of culture and language when assessing the cognitive abilities of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to examine the linguistic demand of the oral subtest directions for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and Fifth Edition (WISC-V). Text-based statistics were extracted from the WISC-IV and WISC-V subtests to generate three composite scores: verbosity, complexity, and total demand. Results suggest that the oral directions of the WISC-IV subtests Block Design, Letter–number Sequencing, Cancellation, and Comprehension demonstrate relatively high linguistic demand. The oral subtest directions of the WISC-V subtests Picture Span, Visual Puzzles, and Figure Weights demonstrate relatively high linguistic demand. These findings suggest that the linguistic demand of oral directions should be taken into consideration when selecting and interpreting some subtests from both of these cognitive batteries.
Dynamic characteristics of coupling shaft system in tufting machine based on the Riccati whole transfer matrix method
Authors: Huang Shuang , Chi Xinfu , Xu Yang , Sun Yize
Published: April 2016

Focusing on tufting machine type DHUN801D-400, the complex dynamic model of coupling shaft system is built by using Riccati whole transfer matrix method, and the natural frequencies and mode shapes are analyzed. First, the components of coupling shafts system in tufting machine are introduced. Second, the structures of coupling shafts system are discretized and simplified. Third, the transfer matrix is constructed, the model is solved by using Riccati whole transfer matrix method, and then natural frequencies and mode shapes are obtained. Finally, the experimental results are quoted to demonstrate the applicability of the model. The results indicate that the Riccati whole transfer matrix method is well applicable for modeling the dynamics of complex multi-rotor systems.
Temporal finite element methods through the extended framework of Hamilton’s principle
Authors: Kim Jinkyu , Kim Dongkeon
Published: April 2016

With basic ideas of mixed Lagrangian formulation and sequential assigning process for initial conditions, the extended framework of Hamilton’s principle (EHP) was recently developed for continuum dynamics. Unlike the original Hamilton’s principle, this new variational framework can fully take initial conditions into account for both linear and nonlinear dynamics, so that it provides a sound base to apply a finite element scheme over the temporal domain without any ambiguity. This paper describes temporal finite element approach stemming from the extended Hamilton’s principle, which focuses initially on classical single-degree-of-freedom oscillators such as Kelvin–Voigt damped oscillator and an elasto-viscoplastic model. In each case, an appropriate weak form is provided and a corresponding formulation is discretized in the temporal domain with the adoption of Galerkin’s method. Basic numerical properties are investigated for the developed numerical algorithms with several computational examples for the elasto-viscoplastic model. For the underlying conservative system, the present method is symplectic and unconditionally stable with respect to the time step. On the other hand, the method provides unconditionally stable and noniterative algorithm for the elasto-viscoplastic model.
Optimal design of groove shape on passive micromixer using design of experiment technique
Authors: Kim Chul-Kyu , Yoon Joon-Yong
Published: April 2016

Passive micromixers are one of the parts used for the mixing of two or more fluids in micro-electro-mechanical system devices, and they have been developed for various types. Fluid mixing in microscale devices is essential in microfluidic applications; however, it is difficult to mix fluids in microchannels due to the slowness of the molecular diffusion process at the microscale. In this study, optimization of the groove shape geometries of a micromixer using response surface design was performed, and the mixing performance was investigated through a numerical analysis applied with the passive scalar method. The most useful parameters were determined to be the geometric parameters of optimization, such as groove depth, groove length, distance between grooves, and groove angle. Response surface design, a design of experiments technique, was applied to the optimization procedure. The mixing index and pressure drop are important factors for evaluating the micromixer performance. Through the response surface design, this study aims to affect the groove shape of a passive micromixer. Consequently, it was concluded that the groove length and distance between grooves improved the mixing performance and decreased the pressure drop. In addition, optimal models were proposed for the passive micromixer.
Observation data processing methods in SINS/multi-GNSS integrated navigation simulation
Authors: Song Dan , Xu Chengdong , Zhang Pengfei , Fan Guochao
Published: April 2016

In this paper, two methods are proposed, namely the unified processing method and the distributed processing method, to process the global navigation satellite system observation data in integrated navigation simulation which uses the strapdown inertial navigation system as the reference system and the multi-global navigation satellite systems as the sub-systems. The unified processing method takes all the global navigation satellite systems as a whole as one sub-system while the distributed processing method takes each global navigation satellite system as one sub-system. The centralized filter and federated filter are utilized respectively to process the global navigation satellite system observation data in the unified processing method and the distributed processing method. The mathematical models of the unified processing method and the distributed processing method are given in detail. Through theoretical derivation and mathematical simulations, the performances of the unified processing method and the distributed processing method are investigated and compared, showing that while they have the same position (velocity) accuracy, the distributed processing method offers better efficiency than the unified processing method especially when the number of global navigation satellite systems is large (>3).
Centralized multi-sensor multi-target tracking with labeled random finite set
Authors: Qiu Hao , Huang Gaoming , Gao Jun
Published: April 2016

Tracking multiple objects with multiple sensors is widely recognized to be much more complex than the single-sensor scenario. This contribution proposes a computationally tractable multi-sensor multi-target tracker. Based on Bayes equation and multi-senor observation model, a new corrector for multi-senor is derived. To lower the complexity of update operation, a parallel track-to-measurement association strategy is applied to the corrector. Hypotheses truncation scheme along with first-moment approximation of multi-target density are also employed to improve the tracking efficiency. The tracker is applied to a couple-sensor scenario. Experiment results validate the advantages of proposed method compared to the standard single-sensor δ-generalized labeled multi-Bernoulli filter and the iterated-corrector probability hypothesis density filter.
Going All In
Authors: Ackerman Joshua M. , Maner Jon K. , Carpenter Stephanie M.
Published: April 2016

When faced with risky decisions, people typically choose to diversify their choices by allocating resources across a variety of options and thus avoid putting “all their eggs in one basket.” The current research revealed that this tendency is reversed when people face an important cue to mating-related risk: skew in the operational sex ratio, or the ratio of men to women in the local environment. Counter to the typical strategy of choice diversification, findings from four studies demonstrated that the presence of romantically unfavorable sex ratios (those featuring more same-sex than opposite-sex individuals) led heterosexual people to diversify financial resources less and instead concentrate investment in high-risk/high-return options when making lottery, stock-pool, retirement-account, and research-funding decisions. These studies shed light on a key process by which people manage risks to mating success implied by unfavorable interpersonal environments. These choice patterns have important implications for mating behavior as well as other everyday forms of decision making.
The effects of corticosteroids on cognitive flexibility and decision-making in women with lupus
Authors: Montero-López E , Santos-Ruiz A , Navarrete-Navarrete N , Ortego-Centeno N , Pérez-García M , Peralta-Ramírez M I
Published: April 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effects of corticosteroids in women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in two processes of executive function: cognitive flexibility and decision-making. To that end, we evaluated 121 women divided into three groups: 50 healthy women, 38 women with SLE not receiving corticosteroid treatment and 33 women with SLE receiving corticosteroid treatment. Cognitive flexibility was measured with the Trail Making Tests A and B; decision-making was measured with the Iowa Gambling Task. Additionally, demographic (age and education level), clinical (SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Damage Index (SDI) and disease duration) and psychological characteristics (stress vulnerability, perceived stress and psychopathic symptomatology) were evaluated. The results showed that both SLE groups displayed poorer decision-making than the healthy women ( p = 0.006) and also that the SLE group receiving corticosteroid treatment showed lower cognitive flexibility than the other two groups ( p = 0.030). Moreover, SLE patients showed poorer scores than healthy women on the following SCL-90-R subscales: somatisation ( p = 0.005), obsessions and compulsions ( p = 0.045), depression ( p = 0.004), hostility ( p = 0.013), phobic anxiety ( p = 0.005), psychoticism ( p = 0.016) and positive symptom total ( p = 0.001). In addition, both SLE groups were more vulnerable to stress ( p = 0.000). These findings help to understand the effects of corticosteroid treatment on cognitive flexibility and decision-making, in addition to the disease-specific effects suffered by women with SLE.
Reducing the Mental Health–Related Stigma of Social Work Students
Authors: Rubio-Valera Maria , Aznar-Lou Ignacio , Vives-Collet Mireia , Fernández Ana , Gil-Girbau Montserrat , Serrano-Blanco Antoni
Published: April 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a social contact and education intervention to improve attitudes to mental illness in first-year social work students. This was a 3-month cluster randomized controlled trial with two parallel arms: intervention (87) and control group (79). The intervention was a workshop led by an OBERTAMENT activist (a person with a mental illness trained in communication skills and empowerment by a social worker). We assessed intended future behavior toward people with mental illness, personal and perceived stigma, and mental health–related attitudes (self-reported questionnaire). The intervention improved social work students’ attitudes ( d ≈ 0.50, p < .05) and reduced personal stigma toward people with mental illness ( d = 0.35, p = .04) as well as improving their future intended behavior 2 weeks after the intervention ( d = 0.51, p = .01). The intervention impact on authoritarian attitudes toward people with schizophrenia was maintained after 3 months ( d = 0.94, p = .01). Long-term impact needs to be improved.
Reflections and Recommendations for Conducting In-Depth Interviews With People With Dementia
Authors: Cridland Elizabeth K. , Phillipson Lyn , Brennan-Horley Christopher , Swaffer Kate
Published: April 2016

Despite the importance and advantages of including people with dementia in research, there are various challenges for researchers and participants to their involvement. This article draws on the literature and experiences of a diverse group of authors, including a person with dementia, to provide recommendations about conducting research with people with dementia. Particular attention is given to in-depth interviews as a qualitative technique. More specifically, topics discussed include interview guide preparation, recruitment, obtaining consent/assent, conducting effective interviews, analysis and interpretation of data, effective communication of research findings, and reflections and recommendations for maintaining researcher and participant health. Given the current obstacles to participation in research of people with dementia, this is a timely article providing useful insights to promote improved outcomes using in-depth interviews.
“Males Don’t Wanna Bring Anything Up To Their Doctor”
Authors: Scholz Brett , Crabb Shona , Wittert Gary A.
Published: April 2016

Men experiencing depression may present with externalizing behaviors including avoidance, getting angry, or finding distractions rather than seeking help. General practitioners report that depression is harder to diagnose in men than in women. Research has not typically focused on men’s accounts of depression; thus, the current study uses an exploratory design to better understand men’s subjectivities of depression. A thematic framework informed the analysis of interviews with 10 men who had experienced high levels of depressive symptoms at least once within the prior 5 years, with two overarching discourses of depression discussed. The first relates to links between depression and health, including comorbid illnesses. The second relates to social contexts in which depression is experienced. These findings extend upon previous research suggesting medical practitioners have difficulty with competing biomedical and social discourses of depression, highlighting the importance of continuing to improve understandings of men’s depression discourses.
Anticoagulation Control in Swiss Primary Care: Time in Therapeutic Range Percentages Exceed Benchmarks of Phase III Trials
Authors: Djalali Sima , Valeri Fabio , Gerber Bernhard , Meli Damian N. , Senn Oliver
Published: April 2016

Background:

In randomized controlled trials, non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) demonstrated noninferiority to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in patients who spent limited time in therapeutic range (TTR). In real-life patients, TTR is known to vary significantly across countries and health-care settings.

Objective:

We aim to evaluate the quality of VKA treatment in Swiss primary care (PC) by comparing patients’ median TTR to levels achieved in the phase III NOAC trials RE-LY, ROCKET-AF, ARISTOTLE, and ENGAGE-AF-TIMI 48. Patient characteristics affecting TTR control shall be estimated.

Methods:

This is a retrospective longitudinal study in Swiss PC patients receiving VKA for ≥6 months. We identified patients from the PC research database FIRE (Family medicine International Classification of Primary Care Research using Electronic medical records) and calculated TTR according to Rosendaal formula. Comparative data from NOAC trials were retrieved from medical literature. Linear regression models were used to assess predictors of TTR.

Results:

Primary care encounters of 215 patients were analyzed. Like in the NOAC trials, median observation period was 2.2 years, but patients were older (67.9% vs 38% ≥75 years) and differed in terms of concomitant diseases and drugs. Median TTR was 75% (65% in the NOAC trials). Female sex was independently associated with a lower TTR and significantly modified by increasing age.

Conclusion:

Practitioners should consider that patients in NOAC trials are only partly representative of PC patients, particularly in terms of TTR control. Only a minority of the observed patients would require a therapy switch to NOACs due to inadequate TTR. Further research is needed in order to identify specific features of care management that are associated with these outcomes.
Empirical identification of the inverse model of a squeeze-film damper bearing using neural networks and its application to a nonlinear inverse problem
Authors: Torres Cedillo Sergio G , Bonello Philip
Published: April 2016

The identification of nonlinear squeeze-film damper (SFD) bearings, typically used in aero-engines, has so far focused on their forward model (i.e. displacement input/force output). The contributions of this paper are the non-parametric identification of the inverse model of the SFD bearing (force input/displacement output) from empirical data, and its application to a nonlinear inverse rotor-bearing problem. This work is motivated by the need for a reliable substitute for internal instrumentation, to enable the identification of rotor unbalance using vibration data from externally mounted sensors, in applications where the rotor is inaccessible under operating conditions and there is no adequate linear connection between rotor and casing. The identification of the inverse model is fundamentally different from that of the forward model due to the need to account for system memory. A suitably trained Recurrent Neural network (RNN) is shown to be capable of identifying the inverse model of an actual SFD through two validation studies. In the first study, the RNN model satisfactorily predicted the SFD journal’s displacement time histories for given periodic time histories of the Cartesian SFD forces, although it could not predict the user-applied static offset in the SFD since it was not trained to do so. This was no limitation for the second study where, for both centred and non-centred SFD conditions, the RNN proved to be a reliable substitute for actual instrumentation as part of the inverse problem solution process for identifying the amplitudes and phases of the external excitation forces on a simple test rig.
APNA Member Survey Results
Authors: Allen Diane E.
Published: April 2016

BACKGROUND: A group of hospital emergency department nurses formed a virtual community within the American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) to explore who and what skills are best suited to provide care for patients with psychiatric disorders in hospital emergency departments. OBJECTIVE: The Emergency Department Nurse work group, under the auspices of APNA’s Institute for Safe Environments, developed a survey to help describe the role and function of the psychiatric nurse in hospital emergency departments and to determine needs for training and competencies. DESIGN: The 25-item survey was sent via an email link to all APNA members. RESULTS: Responses from 520 nurses show consensus for the title of “psychiatric emergency department nurse,” whose primary role is to provide “crisis management.” A need for education in advanced medical assessment was identified. CONCLUSION: It is critical that we provide a professional practice context to assist nurses working in emergency departments.
Elaboration, Generalization, Triangulation, and Interpretation
Authors: Gibson Cristina B.
Published: April 2016

This article examines means of enhancing the value of mixed method research for organizational science. Conclusions are based on a comprehensive analysis of 69 mixed method articles published in four empirical journals between 2009 and 2014, detailed case comparison of four illustrative articles, and personal interviews with lead authors for each case. Findings provide three key contributions. First, documenting the prevalence of mixed methods over the past six years in a broad selection of journals, five approaches to mixed method research are identified—including three novel approaches not yet elaborated on in prior treatises on research methods, expanding the feasible options for mixed method scholarship and bolstering confidence in considering such approaches. Second, themes pertaining to enhancing the value of mixed method research are revealed, including elaboration, generalization, triangulation, and interpretation. Finally, findings uncovered four sets of practical techniques by which this value can be increased. Together, these contributions provide guidance for those endeavoring to utilize a mixed method approach in organizational science.
Contribution of different relapse phenotypes to disability in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Stewart Tamasine , Spelman Tim , Havrdova Eva , Horakova Dana , Trojano Maria , Izquierdo Guillermo , Duquette Pierre , Girard Marc , Prat Alexandre , Lugaresi Alessandra , Grand’Maison Francois , Grammond Pierre , Sola Patrizia , Shaygannejad Vahid , Hupperts Raymond , Alroughani Raed , Oreja-Guevara Celia , Pucci Eugenio , Boz Cavit , Lechner-Scott Jeannette , Bergamaschi Roberto , Van Pesch Vincent , Iuliano Gerardo , Ramo Cristina , Taylor Bruce , Slee Mark , Spitaleri Daniele , Granella Franco , Verheul Freek , McCombe Pamela , Hodgkinson Suzanne , Amato Maria Pia , Vucic Steve , Gray Orla , Cristiano Edgardo , Barnett Michael , Sanchez Menoyo Jose Luis , van Munster Erik , Saladino Maria Laura , Olascoaga Javier , Prevost Julie , Deri Norma , Shaw Cameron , Singhal Bhim , Moore Fraser , Rozsa Csilla , Shuey Neil , Skibina Olga , Kister Ilya , Petkovska-Boskova Tatjana , Ampapa Radek , Kermode Allan , Butzkueven Helmut , Jokubaitis Vilija , Kalincik Tomas ,   on behalf of the MSBase Study Group
Published: April 2016

Objective:

This study evaluated the effect of relapse phenotype on disability accumulation in multiple sclerosis.

Methods:

Analysis of prospectively collected data was conducted in 19,504 patients with relapse-onset multiple sclerosis and minimum 1-year prospective follow-up from the MSBase cohort study. Multivariable linear regression models assessed associations between relapse incidence, phenotype and changes in disability (quantified with Expanded Disability Status Scale and its Functional System scores). Sensitivity analyses were conducted.

Results:

In 34,858 relapses recorded during 136,462 patient-years (median follow-up 5.9 years), higher relapse incidence was associated with greater disability accumulation (β = 0.16, p < 0.001). Relapses of all phenotypes promoted disability accumulation, with the most pronounced increase associated with pyramidal (β = 0.27 (0.25–0.29)), cerebellar (β = 0.35 (0.30–0.39)) and bowel/bladder (β = 0.42 (0.35–0.49)) phenotypes (mean (95% confidence interval)). Higher incidence of each relapse phenotype was associated with an increase in disability in the corresponding neurological domain, as well as anatomically related domains.

Conclusion:

Relapses are associated with accumulation of neurological disability. Relapses in pyramidal, cerebellar and bowel/bladder systems have the greatest association with disability change. Therefore, prevention of these relapses is an important objective of disease-modifying therapy. The differential impact of relapse phenotypes on disability outcomes could influence management of treatment failure in multiple sclerosis.