bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automatic Determination of the Greulich-Pyle Bone Age as an Alternative Approach for Chinese Children with Discordant Bone Age
Authors: Zhang Ji , Lin Fangqin , Ding Xiaoyi
Published: July 2016

Background: Automated bone age (BA) rating using BoneXpert is being adopted worldwide. This study investigated whether manual matching of hand radiographs could be replaced by BoneXpert for BA ratings of Chinese children with delayed or advanced BA. Methods: 482 left-hand radiographs from 482 children (aged 2-16 years) with discordant BA were evaluated by BoneXpert and manually by 4 radiology residents using the Greulich and Pyle atlas. Radiographs whose BoneXpert BA deviated by >1 year from manual assessment were rerated by 2 attending radiologists in a blinded manner. Results: Among all 482 radiographs, 46 (9.5%) radiographs were rerated and no radiographs were rejected. Differences between BoneXpert and manual rating of 28 (5.8%) cases were >1 year. The manual BAs of the 28 radiographs were all >10 years and greater than the BoneXpert BAs. The root mean square deviation between the residents and BoneXpert was 0.56 for these children (95% CI 0.53-0.61). Conclusion: BoneXpert agreed with manual BA rating in 94.2% of the images. Therefore, BoneXpert could be used as an alternative for the radiology residents to make an initial BA estimation. Modification of BoneXpert should provide greater accuracy for the estimation of BA in children aged >10 years with discordant BA.
Splicing Defects in the AAAS Gene Leading to both Exon Skipping and Partial Intron Retention in a Tunisian Patient with Allgrove Syndrome
Authors: Kallabi Fakhri , Ben Rhouma Bochra , Baklouti Siwar , Ghorbel Rania , Felhi Rahma , Keskes Leila , Kamoun Hassen
Published: July 2016

Background/Aims: Allgrove syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the triad of adrenal insufficiency, achalasia, and alacrima. This syndrome is caused by mutations in the AAAS gene. A major splice site mutation c.1331+1G>A was found previously in North African families affected by Allgrove syndrome. In this study, we analyzed in vivo and in silico the effect of this mutation on the splicing process. Methods: Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, sequencing and bioinformatics tools, we analyzed all transcripts produced by the AAAS gene containing this splice site mutation. Results: The altered splicing of mRNA produces two aberrant transcripts: one with exon 14 skipping, the other with concurrent exon 14 skipping and retention of 99 bp of intron 14, both outcomes resulting in frameshifts with a new stop codon generation in the untranslated region of the last exon. Using in silico bioinformatics tools, we demonstrated that this mutation abolishes the splice donor site of exon 14 and activates a new intronic cryptic splice site in intron 14. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that a single splicing mutation affects the AAAS transcripts and consequently the ALADIN protein structure and function.
The Same Intestinal Inflammatory Disease despite Different Genetic Risk Factors in the East and West?
Authors: Lui Rashid N.S. , Ng Siew C.
Published: July 2016

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disease with unknown etiology. It is likely caused by a complex interplay between genetic, immunologic and environmental factors. Although IBD is still relatively uncommon in Asia, a multitude of studies have shown that it is an emerging disease around the world. Recent insights have highlighted both the similarities and differences amongst Asian and Western IBD patients. Summary: The annual incidence of IBD in the East is still low compared with the West, but there are differences between different regions of Asia. Time trend studies have shown that the incidence of IBD is on the rise. Some notable differences in the clinical manifestations of IBD between the East and West have also been noted. ‘Westernization' of lifestyle may encompass various social and environmental changes that account for the emergence of IBD in our population, although genetics also plays a role in disease pathogenesis. Diagnosis and treatment challenges include limited access to medical care in certain areas, limited availability and high cost of medications, lack of insurance reimbursement, paucity of multidisciplinary teams for the management of complicated IBD cases, and a high prevalence of endemic infections. Currently, the risk of colorectal cancer is lower in the East than in the West, but cancer rates will likely approach that of the West in the future as the prevalence of IBD continues to rise. Key Messages: Measures to improve access to diagnostic tools, increase the availability of medication, and provide adequate multidisciplinary care for IBD patients will become increasingly important in Asia. Differences between the East and West will provide a unique opportunity for global collaboration in basic and clinical research to further our understanding of the disease entity and also provide more locoregional data to healthcare providers and policymakers to make informed decisions and policy changes when tackling the rising burden of IBD in Asia.
Efficacy and Safety of Adjunctive Trimetazidine Therapy for Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Li Yongyong , Wang Dewei , Hu Chunxiao , Zhang Peng , Zhang Dongying , Qin Shu
Published: July 2016

Background: Several lines of evidence support the clinical use of trimetazidine as an adjunctive therapy in cardioischemic patients. Therefore, we assessed here the efficacy and safety of adjunctive trimetazidine therapy in acute myocardial infarction (MI) patients by a systematic review and meta-analysis of the current literature. Methods: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched for clinical studies comparing adjunctive trimetazidine therapy against placebo in adult acute MI patients. Several clinical outcomes [early/short-term all-cause mortality, long-term all-cause mortality, total major adverse cardiac events (MACE), recurrent nonfatal MI, in-hospital adverse events, target vessel revascularization (TVR), and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)] were analyzed by the intention-to-treat principle. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were derived from the number of outcome events in each study arm to estimate the association between adjuvant trimetazidine administration and the various clinical outcomes. A random-effects model was applied for all meta-analyses. Results: We found that adjunctive trimetazidine therapy showed a significant effect upon total MACE (OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.15-0.74; p = 0.007) but showed no significant effect upon early/short-term all-cause mortality, long-term all-cause mortality, recurrent nonfatal MI, in-hospital adverse events, TVR, or CABG (p > 0.05). Conclusions: This is the first meta-analysis to report that adjunctive trimetazidine therapy has a beneficial effect upon total MACE in acute MI patients. Clinical investigators should consider further trials on adjunctive trimetazidine therapy in order to better define its risks and benefits in acute MI patients.
Detection of JAK2 Exon 12 Mutations in JAK2 V617F-Negative Polycythemia Vera Patients by Cloning Technique
Authors: Leszczynska Aleksandra , Grzenkowicz-Wydra Jolanta , Chmielewska-Gorycka Lidia , Bieniaszewska Maria , Hellmann Andrzej
Published: July 2016

Introduction: The identification of mutations of the JAK2 gene is a useful marker in the diagnosis of polycythemia vera (PV) patients. We studied the frequency of JAK2 mutations in a group of PV patients because data are still very limited regarding this subject in Polish patients. Methods: The JAK2 V617F mutation was examined using the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR method. Direct sequencing and a cloning technique were performed to determine alternations in exon 12 of the JAK2 gene. Results: A group of 90 consecutive patients with a suspected diagnosis of polycythemia vera were investigated. In 91% of the cases, the JAK2 V617F mutation was identified. The remaining JAK2 V617F-negative patients were subjected to examination for JAK2 exon 12 by direct PCR product sequencing and the cloning technique. The following mutations were identified: H538-K539delinsL, E543-D544del and N542-E543del. These exon 12 mutants constituted 50% of PV JAK2 V617F-negative group and 4.4% (out of 90) of all PV patients (JAK2 V617F-positive and JAK2 V617F-negative). Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the prevalence of JAK2 mutations (V617F and in exon 12) in PV cases. Moreover, the data show that direct sequencing is not an adequate technique for exon 12 mutation identification; therefore, appropriate methodology should be considered for using this molecular marker in the process of diagnosis.
Il friulano di Pasolini: creazione linguistico-letteraria o dialetto?
Authors: Caprara Loredana De Stauber
Published: July 2016

O artigo examina as composições poéticas de Pasolini em dialeto "friulano" (La nuova gloventù, 1975). De início, o poeta expressa-se num dialeto que, mesmo tendo origem em sua língua materna, é fundamentalmente uma re-criação literária. Entretanto, com o passar dos anos, o dialeto pasoliniano aproxima-se do uso comum e finalmente é substituído pelo italiano. A mudança linguística corresponde a uma transformação do conteúdo: do narcisismo até uma adesão explícita à realidade social.
Antihyperglycemic Medication Use Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Heart Failure, Diabetes Mellitus, and Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Patel Priyesh A. , Liang Li , Khazanie Prateeti , Hammill Bradley G. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Yancy Clyde W. , Bhatt Deepak L. , Curtis Lesley H. , Hernandez Adrian F.
Published: July 2016

Background—

Diabetes mellitus, heart failure (HF), and chronic kidney disease are common comorbidities, but overall use and safety of antihyperglycemic medications (AHMs) among patients with these comorbidities are poorly understood.

Methods and Results—

Using Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure and linked Medicare Part D data, we assessed AHM use within 90 days of hospital discharge among HF patients with diabetes mellitus discharged from Get With the Guidelines-Heart Failure hospitals between January 1, 2006, and October 1, 2011. We further summarized use by renal function and assessed renal contraindicated AHM use for patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73m
2
. Among 8791 patients meeting inclusion criteria, the median age was 77 (interquartile range 71–83), 62.3% were female, median body mass index was 29.7 (interquartile range 25.5–35.3), median hemoglobin A1c was 6.8 (interquartile range 6.2–7.8), and 34% had ejection fraction <40%. 74.9% of patients filled a prescription for an AHM, with insulin (39.5%), sulfonylureas (32.4%), and metformin (17%) being the most commonly used AHMs. Insulin use was higher and sulfonylurea/metformin use was lower among patients with lower renal function classes. Among 1512 patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 mL/min/1.73m
2
, 35.4% filled prescriptions for renal contraindicated AHMs per prescribing information, though there was a trend toward lower renal contraindicated AHM use over time (Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel row-mean score test
P
=0.048). Although use of other AHMs was low overall, thiazolidinediones were used in 6.6% of HF patients, and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors were used in 5.1%, with trends for decreasing thiazolidinedione use and increased dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor use over time (
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

Treatment of diabetes mellitus in patients with HF and chronic kidney disease is complex, and these patients are commonly treated with renal contraindicated AHMs, including over 6% receiving a thiazolidinedione, despite known concerns regarding HF. More research regarding safety and efficacy of various AHMs among HF patients is needed.
Heart Failure With Improved Ejection Fraction: Clinical Characteristics, Correlates of Recovery, and Survival
Authors: Florea Viorel G. , Rector Thomas S. , Anand Inder S. , Cohn Jay N.
Published: July 2016

Background—

Heart failure with recovered or improved ejection fraction (HFiEF) has been proposed as a new category of HF. Whether HFiEF is clinically distinct from HF with persistently reduced ejection fraction remains to be validated.

Methods and Results—

Of the 5010 subjects enrolled in the Valsartan Heart Failure Trial (Val-HeFT), 3519 had a baseline left ventricular EF of <35% and a follow-up echocardiographic assessment of EF at 12 months. Of these, 321 (9.1%) patients who had a 12-month EF of >40% constituted the subgroup with HFiEF. EF improved from 28.7±5.6% to 46.5±5.6% in the subgroup with HFiEF and remained reduced (25.2±6.2% and 27.5±7.1%) in the subgroup with HF with reduced ejection fraction. The group with HFiEF had a less severe hemodynamic, biomarker, and neurohormonal profile, and it was treated with a more intense HF medication regimen. Subjects who had higher blood pressure and those treated with a β-blocker or randomized to valsartan had greater odds of being in the HFiEF group, whereas those with an ischemic pathogenesis, a more dilated left ventricle, and a detectable hs-troponin had lower odds of an improvement in EF. Recovery of the EF to >40% was associated with a better survival compared with persistently reduced EF.

Conclusions—

Our data support HFiEF as a stratum of HF with reduced ejection fraction with a more favorable outcome, which occurs in a minority of patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction who have a lower prevalence of ischemic heart disease, a less severe hemodynamic, biomarker, and neurohormonal profile, and who are treated with a more intense HF medication regimen.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00336336.
Cross-border Movement of Patients in the eu: A Re-Appraisal
Authors: Rieder Clemens M.
Published: July 2016

The national welfare state, so it seems, has come under attack by European integration. This article focuses on one facet of the welfare state, that is, healthcare and on one specific dimension, that is, cross-border movement of patients. The institution which has played a pivotal role in the development of the framework regulating the migration of patients is the European Court of Justice (ecj). The Court’s activity in this sensitive area has not remained without critics. This was even more so since the Court invoked Treaty (primary) law which not only has made it difficult to overturn case law but also has left the legislator with very little room for manoeuvre in relation to any future (secondary) eu law. What is therefore of special interest in terms of legitimacy is the legal reasoning by which the Court has made its contribution to the development of this framework. This article is a re-appraisal of the legal development in this field.
The Kone Decision
Authors: Blair Roger D. , Durrance Christine Piette , Wang Wenche
Published: July 2016

Price fixing cartels do not always involve all members of an industry. To the extent that the nonconspiring industry members set their prices under the price umbrella of the cartel, the customers of the nonconspiring firms suffer overcharges just like customers of the conspiring firms. Similarly, in a buyer cartel, sellers to the nonconspiring buyers would suffer underpayments just like sellers to the conspiring buyers. In the European Union, price fixing is prohibited under Article 101 of the Treaty for the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). A recent Court of Justice (CJEU) ruling has allowed the opportunity for umbrella plaintiffs to have standing and prove damages. In this article, we review the Kone decision and discuss the economics of umbrella pricing and umbrella damages. We analyze the issue of partial conspiracy among sellers and among buyers. Additionally, we discuss the estimation of damages both theoretically and in practice. We also identify some possible complications that may arise in damage estimation. We find that the CJEU’s economic reasoning is clearly correct and umbrella plaintiffs should have their chance to prove damages but will face the similar hurdles as nonumbrella plaintiffs.
The Development and Deployment of a Maintenance Operations Safety Survey
Authors: Langer Marie , Braithwaite Graham R.
Published: July 2016

Objective:

Based on the line operations safety audit (LOSA), two studies were conducted to develop and deploy an equivalent tool for aircraft maintenance: the maintenance operations safety survey (MOSS).

Background:

Safety in aircraft maintenance is currently measured reactively, based on the number of audit findings, reportable events, incidents, or accidents. Proactive safety tools designed for monitoring routine operations, such as flight data monitoring and LOSA, have been developed predominantly for flight operations.

Method:

In Study 1, development of MOSS, 12 test peer-to-peer observations were collected to investigate the practicalities of this approach. In Study 2, deployment of MOSS, seven expert observers collected 56 peer-to-peer observations of line maintenance checks at four stations. Narrative data were coded and analyzed according to the threat and error management (TEM) framework.

Results:

In Study 1, a line check was identified as a suitable unit of observation. Communication and third-party data management were the key factors in gaining maintainer trust. Study 2 identified that on average, maintainers experienced 7.8 threats (operational complexities) and committed 2.5 errors per observation. The majority of threats and errors were inconsequential. Links between specific threats and errors leading to 36 undesired states were established.

Conclusion:

This research demonstrates that observations of routine maintenance operations are feasible. TEM-based results highlight successful management strategies that maintainers employ on a day-to-day basis.

Application:

MOSS is a novel approach for safety data collection and analysis. It helps practitioners understand the nature of maintenance errors, promote an informed culture, and support safety management systems in the maintenance domain.
An educational tool to assist the design process of switched reluctance machines
Authors: Riba Jordi-Roger , Garcia Antoni , Romero Itamar
Published: July 2016

The design of electric machines is a hot topic in the syllabuses of several undergraduate and graduate courses. With the development of hybrid and electrical vehicles, this subject is gaining more popularity, especially in electrical engineering courses. This paper presents a computer-aided educational tool to guide engineering students in the design process of a switched reluctance machine. A step-by-step design procedure is detailed and a user guide interface programmed in the Matlab® environment developed for this purpose is shown. This user guide interface has been proved a useful tool to help the students to validate the results obtained in their lecture assignments, while aiding to achieve a better understanding of the design process of electric machines. A validation of the educational tool is done by means of finite element method simulations.
Are Chinese Correlative Conjunctions Psychologically Real? An Investigation of the Combination Frequency Effect
Authors: Kong Lingyue , Zhang John X. , Zhang Yongwei
Published: July 2016

The present study used an online grammaticality judgment task to examine whether Chinese discontinuous correlative conjunctions are psychologically real in mental lexicon. High- and low-frequency discontinuous correlative conjunctions were compared with random combinations differing in combination frequencies but matched for constituent word frequency. Forty graduate students participated in the study. Results showed that responses were faster and more accurate for high-frequency correlative conjunctions than low-frequency ones, but the effects were absent for random combinations. The results indicate that Chinese discontinuous correlative conjunctions have psychological reality in mental lexicon in addition to the representation of their constituent words, and that grammatical functions of correlative conjunctions may be a critical factor for the formation of such holistic representations.
Acute pancreatitis associated with scrub typhus
Authors: SV Padmavathi Devi , M Aruna , Kumar Anil CV , Krishna Reddy Hari , BL Sangeetha , Siva Kumar V
Published: July 2016

Scrub typhus, or tsutsugamushi fever, is a zoonosis of rural Asia and the western Pacific islands. The causative organism, Orientia (formerly Rickettsia) tsutsugamushi, is transmitted to humans by the bite of a larval Leptotrombidium mite (chigger). Scrub typhus may have gastrointestinal presentations, such as acute acalculous cholecystitis, duodenal ulcer perforation, peritonitis and gastric ulceration. Acute pancreatitis with scrub typhus has been reported rarely. We report a patient of scrub typhus complicated by acute pancreatitis and acute kidney injury.
Teacher Conceptions, Curriculum Ideologies, and Adaptations to Linear Change in River School District
Authors: Allen William T. , Hunsaker Scott L.
Published: July 2016

Curriculum ideologies are educational theories applied in everyday pedagogical practice. In this study, to better meet the learning needs of their students, four middle school teachers used a variety of ideologies as a professional toolbox. When confronted with school district standardization, these teachers adapted; however, as predicted by earlier studies, adjustments required the loss of previously successful curriculum. As predicted by Feldhusen, these losses affected teachers of high-level students (honors and gifted and talented) the most. In this district, two such teachers opposed standardization; nevertheless, even with resistance, they lost ideological-based curriculum choices. What are teachers of high-level students to do? Any standardization program will threaten and/or change eclectic ideological praxes. With such a dichotomy, a split is revealed between teacher beliefs and practices. In this study, an honors teacher could not bear the split and decided to stop teaching rather than give up her curricular eclecticism.
Powers of the Mask: Political Subjectivation and Rites of Participation in Local-Global Protest
Authors: Riisgaard Lone , Thomassen Bjørn
Published: July 2016

Mask-wearing political protests have been global front page news for several years now; yet, almost no literature exists which attempts to engage the symbolic density and ritual role played by such mask-wearing acts. We argue that mask-wearing has political potentiality which relates to deeper-lying anthropological features of mask-wearing. The powers of the mask reside in the transformative ability of masks to unify and transcend key oppositional categories such as absence/presence and death/life, creating possibilities where conventional boundaries of the possible/impossible no longer restrict. By questioning the communicative rationality of the modern ‘public’ and the ‘sphere’ in which it operates, we approach mask-wearing as a ‘communicative opening’. Building on earlier critiques of liberal democratic normativity, we further argue that the ‘utopia of transparency’ is itself a regulatory power and that mask-wearing exposes the very notions that were supposed to form the background of modern, emancipatory politics: transparency, free speech and representative democracy.
Adsorptive recovery of ethylene by CuCl2 loaded activated carbon via π-complexation
Authors: Zhou Xiaolong , Feng Minchao , Niu Hui , Song Yueqin , Li Chenglie , Zhong Dongwen
Published: July 2016

Ethylene is recovered from ethylene/ethane mixture by adsorptive separation on CuCl2 loaded activated carbon. When 36.7% of CuCl2 were dispersed on activated carbon made from coconut shell (CSC) and calcined at 400℃ for some hours, a satisfactory adsorbent sample was prepared. The adsorption capacity of ethylene reached 23.55 mg/g and ethylene/ethane separation factor reached 7.6. Adsorbent characterization by various modern instruments demonstrated the reduction of CuCl2 to provide Cu+ cation on CSC, which is responsible to form π-complexation bonds for the adsorption of ethylene. Mechanism was discussed. Nature of related active centers was suggested.
Women’s Drinking Decisions in Heterosocial Situations: Development and Validation of Scenarios to Assess Influence of Attraction and Risk-Awareness
Authors: Noel Nora E. , Ogle Richard L. , Maisto Stephen A. , Jackson Lee A. , Loomis Randi B. , Heaton Jennifer A.
Published: July 2016

These three related studies created a set of ecologically valid scenarios for assessing relative associations of both attraction and sexual coercion risk-recognition in college women’s heterosocial situational drinking decisions. The first study constructed nine scenarios using input from heterosexual drinking women in the age cohort (18-30) most likely to experience alcohol-related sexual coercion. In the second study, 50 female undergraduates (ages 18-25) assessed the salience of three important dimensions (attraction, risk, and realism) in these scenarios. The third study was a factor analysis (and a follow-up confirmatory factor analysis) of the elements of coercion-risk as perceived by the target group with two female samples recruited 1 year apart (Sample 1: N = 157, ages 18-29); Sample 2: N = 157, ages 18-30). Results confirmed that the scenarios could be a useful vehicle for assessing how women balance out risk and attraction to make in-the moment heterosocial drinking decisions. The factor analysis showed participants perceived two types of situations, based on whether the male character was “Familiar” or “Just Met” and perceived themselves as happier and more excited with Familiar males. However, in contrast to HIV risk studies, Familiar males were perceived as higher risk for unwanted sex. Future research will use the six scenarios that emerged from the factor analysis to study how attraction and risk perception differentially affect young adult women’s social drinking decisions.
One-step synthesis and magnetic properties of Ni-Fe3O4@PI core–shell composite microspheres
Authors: Zhou Ziyue , Wei Jincheng , Gao Jingxing , Hou Feng
Published: July 2016

Nickel(Ni)-iron(III) oxide(Fe3O4)@polyimide (PI) composite microspheres were successfully prepared from poly(amic acid) triethylammonium salts and a mixture of Fe(III) and Ni(II) via a facile one-step solvothermal process. Furthermore, the formation mechanism of the composite microspheres has been investigated. The morphology and the structure of the samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy, respectively. It was determined that PI could be successfully coated on the surface of the magnetic microspheres. Based on the results obtained from thermo-gravimetric analysis and vibrating sample magnetometer curves, it was found that the composite microspheres exhibit an excellent thermal stability. The prepared sample, coined NiFe@PI-4, with higher weight content of iron particles in the polymer matrix, showed improved magnetic properties (saturation magnetization = 57.1 emu/g) due to the high saturation magnetization of Fe3O4 and excellent dispersion effects of polyethylene glycol on the nanoparticles in solution.
Preserving Musicality Through Pictures
Authors: Nordquist Alice L.
Published: July 2016

The natural musicality so often present in children’s singing can begin to fade as the focus of a lesson shifts to the process of reading and writing conventional notation symbols. Approaching the study of music from a linguistic perspective preserves the pace and flow that is inherent in spoken language and song. SongWorks teaching practices offer a pedagogical sequence based on the natural groupings of sounds within spoken language. A series of lessons on the American folk song “Rocky Mountain” illustrates examples of linguistic pathways to preserving musicality in conventional notation.
Validity of the Delirium Observation Screening Scale in Identifying Delirium in Home Hospice Patients
Authors: Jorgensen Shea M. , Carnahan Ryan M. , Weckmann Michelle T.
Published: July 2016

Background:

Delirium is common in home hospice patients and conveys significant morbidity to both patients and caregivers. The Delirium Observation Screening Scale (DOS) was developed to improve delirium recognition but has yet to be validated in the home hospice setting.

Objective:

This pilot study aimed to explore the accuracy of the DOS for identifying delirium in home hospice patients.

Design:

Prospective delirium evaluation using a convenience sample.

Setting/Participants:

Community hospice patients were approached for study inclusion.

Measurements:

Participants were assessed using the Delirium Rating Scale–Revised–98 (DRS-R-98), with results being categorized as “delirium” or “no delirium.” The Delirium Observation Screening Scale scores, completed by hospice nurses during weekly patient assessment visits, were compared to the DRS-R-98 results.

Results:

Within this population, 30/78 (38%) assessments were categorized as delirious. In the majority of assessments, 69/75 (92%), the DRS-R-98 and DOS provided congruent results. There were 5 false positives and 1 false negative, demonstrating the DOS to be a clinically useful tool with a sensitivity of 0.97 and specificity of 0.89.

Conclusion:

The DOS appears to be an accurate way to screen for delirium in home hospice patients. Validation of the DOS may help to improve delirium recognition and treatment and has the potential to increase quality of life in this vulnerable population. This input will also be taken into consideration in the development of a systematic screening procedure for delirium diagnosis at our local hospice, which we hope will be generalizable to other hospice agencies.
Testing if Social Services Prevent Fatal Child Maltreatment Among a Sample of Children Previously Known to Child Protective Services
Authors: Douglas Emily M.
Published: July 2016

The purpose of this article was to examine the potential impact of child welfare services on the risk for fatal child maltreatment. This was conducted using a subsample of children who were identified as “prior victims” in the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System from 2008 to 2012. At the multivariate level, the analyses show that case management services act to protect children from death as do family support services, family preservation services, and foster care, but that the results vary by type of maltreatment experienced. The author recommends that before strong conclusions are drawn, additional research in this area is warranted.
Bud formation of lipid membranes in response to the surface diffusion of transmembrane proteins and line tension
Authors: Belay Tsegay , Kim Chun Il , Schiavone Peter
Published: July 2016

We study the formation of membrane budding in model lipid bilayers with the budding assumed to be driven by means of diffusion of trans-membrane proteins over a composite membrane surface. The theoretical model for the lipid membrane incorporates a modified Helfrich-type formulation as a special case. In addition, a spontaneous curvature is introduced into the model in order to accommodate the effect of the non-uniformly distributed proteins in the bending response of the membrane. Furthermore, we discuss the effects of line tension on the budding of the membrane, and the necessary adjustments to the boundary conditions. The resulting shape equation is solved numerically for the parametric representation of the surface, which has one to one correspondence to the membrane surface in consideration. Our numerical results successfully predict the vesicle formation phenomenon on a flat lipid membrane surface, since the present analysis is not restricted to the conventional Monge representation often adopted to the problems of this kind for the obvious computational simplicity, despite its limited capability to describe the deformed configuration of membranes. In addition, we show that line tension at the interface of the protein-concentrated domain makes a significant contribution to the bud formation of membranes.
High-performance epistasis detection in quantitative trait GWAS
Authors: Weeks Nathan T , Luecke Glenn R , Groth Brandon M , Kraeva Marina , Ma Li , Kramer Luke M , Koltes James E , Reecy James M
Published: July 2016

epiSNP is a program for identifying pairwise single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) interactions (epistasis) in quantitative-trait genome-wide association studies (GWAS). A parallel MPI version (EPISNPmpi) was created in 2008 to address this computationally expensive analysis on large data sets with many quantitative traits and SNP markers. However, the falling cost of genotyping has led to an explosion of large-scale GWAS data sets that challenge EPISNPmpi’s ability to compute results in a reasonable amount of time. Therefore, we optimized epiSNP for modern multi-core and highly parallel many-core processors to efficiently handle these large data sets. This paper describes the serial optimizations, dynamic load balancing using MPI-3 RMA operations, and shared-memory parallelization with OpenMP to further enhance load balancing and allow execution on the Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor (MIC). For a large GWAS data set, our optimizations provided a 38.43× speedup over EPISNPmpi on 126 nodes using 2 MICs on TACC’s Stampede Supercomputer. We also describe a Coarray Fortran (CAF) version that demonstrates the suitability of PGAS languages for problems with this computational pattern. We show that the Coarray version performs competitively with the MPI version on the NERSC Edison Cray XC30 supercomputer. Finally, the performance benefits of hyper-threading for this application on Edison (average 1.35× speedup) are demonstrated.
Partisan and religious drivers of moral conservatism
Authors: Evans Jocelyn , Tonge Jonathan
Published: July 2016

This article assesses the importance of religious affiliation, observance, faith and party choice in categorizing attitudes to two of the most important contemporary moral and ethical issues: same-sex marriage and abortion. While religious conditioning of moral attitudes has long been seen as important, this article goes beyond analyses grounded in religiosity to explore whether support for particular political parties – and the cues received from those parties on moral questions – may counter or reinforce messages from the churches. Drawing upon new data from the extensive survey of public opinion in the 2015 Northern Ireland election study, the article analyses the salience of religious, party choice and demographic variables in determining attitudes towards these two key social issues. Same-sex marriage and abortion (other than in very exceptional abortion cases) are both still banned in Northern Ireland, but the moral and religious conservatism underpinning prohibition has come under increasing challenge, especially in respect of same-sex marriage. The extent to which political messages compete with religious ones may influence attitudes to the moral issues of the moment.
A new sampling strategy for Kriging-based response surface method and its application in structural reliability
Authors: Jia Buyu , Yu XiaoLin , Yan QuanSheng
Published: July 2016

A new sampling strategy is proposed to improve the robustness and efficiency of the Kriging-based response surface method. In the initial stage, the number-theoretic method is utilized to generate deterministic initial design samples, which are further optimized by an interpolation method. In the sequential iterative process, a new sampling criterion called reliability infill sampling criterion is proposed. Besides, a more reasonable two-process strategy is suggested where the iterative process is divided into two sub-processes using different sampling criteria. The proposed method ensures that the approximation can be accurately and efficiently fitted near the limit state. The numerical examples and the applications in structural reliability indicate the improved accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method.
Sexually Selected Sex Differences in Competitiveness Explain Sex Differences in Changes in Drinking Game Participation
Authors: Hone Liana S. E. , McCullough Michael
Published: July 2016

Drinking games are a risk factor for behavioral and health problems among university students. Previous cross-sectional research by Hone, Carter, and McCullough (2013) replicated well-established sex differences in drinking game behaviors (i.e., that men are more active drinking game participants than are women) and university drinking problems more generally. Hone et al. (2013) also found that these male-specific behavioral patterns are attributable in part to the fact that men's generally unrestricted sexual strategies, plus their social competitiveness, motivate them to participate in drinking games to display their fortitude and compete with same-sex rivals. Here, the authors conducted a study to evaluate with greater causal rigor whether sex differences in sexual restrictedness and social competitiveness—and sex differences in motivations for participating in drinking games in particular—are partially responsible for the sex differences in university students' drinking game behaviors and drinking problems. Sex differences in changes in frequency of drinking game participation were partially mediated by competitive motivations for participating in drinking games and by the effects of social competitiveness on competitive drinking game motivation. These findings lend additional support to the proposition that participation in drinking games is motivated in part by their suitability as a venue for sexual competition in university students' day-to-day lives.
The Unholy Trinity: The Dark Triad, Sexual Coercion, and Brunswik-Symmetry
Authors: Figueredo Aurelio José , Gladden Paul Robert , Sisco Melissa Marie , Patch Emily Anne , Jones Daniel Nelson
Published: July 2016

Psychopathy, Narcissism, and Machiavellianism (the Dark Triad) have each been hypothesized as predictors of socially deviant behavior including sexual coercion, but the three traits also covary significantly with one another. The purpose of this study was to examine several alternative Multisample Structural Equation Models (MSEMs) exploring the relations between the Dark Triad and Sexually Coercive Behavior, testing whether any or all of the three specific “Dark Personality” traits uniquely contributed to predicting sexually coercive behavior. Self-report questionnaires measuring Primary and Secondary Psychopathy, Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Sexually Coercive Behavior were administered to a sample of undergraduates. The relative fit of each of the MSEMs to the data was examined by means of hierarchically nested model comparisons. The most parsimonious yet explanatory model identified was one in which a single common factor composed of the three Dark Triad indicators explained the relationships among the Dark Triad traits and Sexually Coercive Behavior without any direct contributions from the specific Dark Triad indicators. Results indicate that the three Dark Triad traits, controlling for the common factor, do not differentially predict Sexually Coercive Behavior. These results are interpreted with respect to the principle of Brunswik-Symmetry.
Body Height Preferences and Actual Dimorphism in Stature between Partners in Two Non-Western Societies (Hadza and Tsimane')
Authors: Sorokowski Piotr , Sorokowska Agnieszka , Butovskaya Marina , Stulp Gert , Huanca Tomas , Fink Bernhard
Published: July 2016

Body height influences human mate preferences and choice. A typical finding in Western societies is that women prefer men who are taller than themselves and, equivalently, men prefer women who are shorter than themselves. However, recent reports in non-Western societies (e.g., the Himba in Namibia) challenge the view on the universality of such preferences. Here we report on male and female height preferences in two non-Western populations—the Hadza (Tanzania) and the Tsimane' (Bolivia)—and the relationships between body height preferences and the height of actual partners. In the Hadza, most individuals preferred a sexual dimorphism in stature (SDS) with the man being much taller than the woman. Preferences for SDS and actual partner SDS were positively and significantly correlated in both men and women, suggesting that people who preferred larger height differences also had larger height differences with their partners. In the Tsimane', the majority of men preferred an SDS with the man being taller than the woman, but women did not show such a preference. Unlike in the Hadza, SDS preference was not significantly correlated to actual partner SDS. We conclude that patterns of height preferences and choices in the Hadza and Tsimane' are different than those observed in Western societies, and discuss possible causes for the observed differences between non-Western and Western societies.
Jet noise computation based on enhanced DES formulations accelerating the RANS-to-LES transition in free shear layers
Authors: Shur Michael L , Spalart Philippe R , Strelets Michael K
Published: July 2016

The paper presents jet noise computations performed using the original and some recently proposed modified formulations of detached-eddy simulation, based on alternative definitions of the subgrid length-scale and/or a modified version of the subgrid Spalart-Allmaras model, which involves the Wall-Adapting Local Eddy-viscosity model. The modifications are aimed at the elimination or, at least, a significant weakening of a known flaw of detached-eddy simulation, namely, the severe delay of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability and transition from fully modeled to mostly resolved turbulence in the free and separated shear layers. This flaw makes the original detached-eddy simulation formulation, in fact, non-applicable to the prediction of the noise of high Reynolds number jet flows when typical grids are used, and has led to the use of Implicit Large-Eddy Simulation instead. Based on examples of application of these modifications to such flows, already available in the literature, they were found capable of resolving the issue and providing quite accurate predictions of the aerodynamic characteristics and turbulent statistics of the high-Re jets. The study performed in the present work allows us to draw a similar conclusion regarding the accuracy of the enhanced detached-eddy simulation formulations in terms of jet-noise prediction. The new formulation gives noise results very close to those of ILES except at the highest frequencies, while being more general and less sensitive to grid resolution. In addition, it removes a (1–3) dB underestimation of the noise spectral maximums for the peak radiation direction, which is typical of ILES on fine grids.
Not all ultrasounds are created equal: general sonography versus musculoskeletal sonography in the detection of rotator cuff tears
Authors: Cole Brandi , Twibill Kristen , Lam Patrick , Hackett Lisa , Murrell George AC
Published: July 2016

Background

This cross-sectional analytic diagnostic accuracy study was designed to compare the accuracy of ultrasound performed by general sonographers in local radiology practices with ultrasound performed by an experienced musculoskeletal sonographer for the detection of rotator cuff tears.

Methods

In total, 238 patients undergoing arthroscopy who had previously had an ultrasound performed by both a general sonographer and a specialist musculoskeletal sonographer made up the study cohort. Accuracy of diagnosis was compared with the findings at arthroscopy.

Results

When analyzed as all tears versus no tears, musculoskeletal sonography had an accuracy of 97%, a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 95%, whereas general sonography had an accuracy of 91%, a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 86%. When the partial tears were split with those ≥ 50% thickness in the tear group and those < 50% thickness in the no-tear group, musculoskeletal sonography had an accuracy of 97%, a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 100% and general sonography had an accuracy of 85%, a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 87%.

Conclusions

Ultrasound in the hands of an experienced musculoskeletal sonographer is highly accurate for the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears. General sonography has improved subsequent to earlier studies but remains inferior to an ultrasound performed by a musculoskeletal sonographer.
Radiographic Assessment of a Medullary Total Ankle Prosthesis
Authors: Prissel Mark A. , Berlet Gregory C. , Scott Ryan T. , Daigre Justin L. , Bull Patrick E. , Peterson Kyle S. , Collins Christy L. , Hyer Christopher F.
Published: July 2016

Total ankle replacement (TAR) is a viable alternative to ankle fusion in certain patients with end-stage ankle arthritis. Despite the importance of understanding alignment and movement of the prosthesis, there is no standardized radiographic method for evaluating the position and movement of the INBONE 2 prosthesis. The aims of this study were to describe a radiographic measurement protocol for INBONE 2 for clinical practice and research while determining the interobserver and intraobserver reliability using standard weightbearing radiographs. Fifteen patients were randomly selected with operative dates from January 2011 to January 2014 who underwent primary TAR using the INBONE 2 prosthesis. Most recent preoperative and first postoperative weightbearing anteroposterior and lateral radiographs were pulled and deidentified. Three foot and ankle surgeons blinded from the patient selection and deidentification, measured the described measurements on separate occasions. Intraobserver reliability: surgeon 1 had acceptable reliability for 9 of 13 continuous radiographic measurements (69.2%), surgeon 2 had acceptable reliability for 8 of 13 measurements (61.5%), and surgeon 3 had acceptable reliability for 12 of 13 measurements (92.3%). Interobserver reliability: among the first measurements, 6 of 13 continuous radiographic measurements (46.2%) had acceptable reliability. Among the second measurements, 7 of 13 measurements (53.8%) had acceptable reliability. Among the first and second measurements combined, 7 of 13 measurements (53.8%) had acceptable reliability. This study promotes the need for meticulous evaluation of annual radiographic findings following TAR in an effort to avoid catastrophic failure and represents moderate agreement can be obtained by employing the proposed measurements for surveillance of INBONE 2 TAR at annual postoperative visits. Measurements on the anteroposterior radiograph appear to demonstrate more consistent results for surveillance than lateral measurements. The intraobserver reliability results were somewhat superior to the interobserver reliability, implying more relevance for a single surgeon applying these measurements annually for postoperative surveillance.

Levels of Evidence: Diagnostic, Level III
Data journeys: Capturing the socio-material constitution of data objects and flows
Authors: Bates Jo , Lin Yu-Wei , Goodale Paula
Published: July 2016

In this paper, we discuss the development and piloting of a new methodology for illuminating the socio-material constitution of data objects and flows as data move between different sites of practice. The data journeys approach contributes to the development of critical, qualitative methodologies that can address the geographic and temporal scale of emerging knowledge infrastructures, and capture the ‘life of data’ from their initial generation through to re-use in different contexts. We discuss the theoretical development of the data journeys methodology and the application of the approach on a project examining meteorological data on their journey from initial production through to being re-used in climate science and financial markets. We then discuss three key conceptual findings from this project about: (1) the socio-material constitution of digital data objects, (2) ‘friction’ in the movement of data through space and time and (3) the mutability of digital data as a material property that contributes to driving the movement of data between different sites of practice.