bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Doctors’ Confusion over Ratios and Percentages in Drug Solutions: The Case for Standard Labelling
Authors: Wheeler Daniel Wren , Remoundos Dionysios Dennis , Whittlestone Kim David , Palmer Michael Ian , Wheeler Sarah Jane , Ringrose Timothy Richard , Menon David Krishna
Published: November 2017

The different ways of expressing concentrations of drugs in solution, as ratios or percentages or mass per unit volume, are a potential cause of confusion that may contribute to dose errors. To assess doctors’ understanding of what they signify, all active subscribers to doctors.net.uk , an online community exclusively for UK doctors, were invited to complete a brief web-based multiple-choice questionnaire that explored their familiarity with solutions of adrenaline (expressed as a ratio), lidocaine (expressed as a percentage) and atropine (expressed in mg per mL), and their ability to calculate the correct volume to administer in clinical scenarios relevant to all specialties.

2974 (24.6%) replied. The mean score achieved was 4.80 out of 6 (SD 1.38). Only 85.2% and 65.8% correctly identified the mass of drug in the adrenaline and lidocaine solutions, respectively, whilst 93.1% identified the correct concentration of atropine. More would have administered the correct volume of adrenaline and lidocaine in clinical scenarios (89.4% and 81.0%, respectively) but only 65.5% identified the correct volume of atropine.

The labelling of drug solutions as ratios or percentages is antiquated and confusing. Labelling should be standardized to mass per unit volume.
Mapping Rehabilitation Resources for Head Injury
Authors: Pickard J D , Seeley H M , Kirker S , Maimaris C , McGlashan K , Roels E , Greenwood R , Steward C , Hutchinson P J , Carroll G
Published: November 2017

Several reports have pointed to the unevenness in the UK of services for rehabilitation after head injury. A study was conducted in the Eastern Region of England to define the key stages in recovery and rehabilitation, by an iterative process of questionnaire, interview and consensus conference. Findings were translated into a draft set of maps showing current availability of services which were revised after feedback. Working groups then developed a set of definitions and classification codes for each stage of rehabilitation which were likewise disseminated for feedback. The maps were then redrafted to correspond with the definitions together with a flowchart of potential head injury rehabilitation services. The definitions were piloted at a regional neurosurgery unit and a rehabilitation hospital. Core services for neurorehabilitation region-wide were found to be variable and uncoordinated with fragmented and inequitable allocation of resources. The definitions and mapping system that emerged from this study should facilitate the design of care pathways for patients and identify gaps in the services.
Reliability of Automated Blood Pressure Devices used by Hypertensive Patients
Authors: Wong William C W , Shiu Ivan K L , Hwong Thomas M T , Dickinson James A
Published: November 2017

Automated blood pressure (BP) devices are used by many hypertensive patients in Hong Kong, with or without medical advice. At two community clinics, we invited hypertensive patients aged between 40 and 70 years who used such a device to fill in a questionnaire and to have four sets of BP measurements, automated and mercury, at two visits. Of 290 hypertensive patients 120 fulfilled the criteria, and 73 of these agreed to participate.

53 devices measured arm BP, 21 measured forearm BP. The agreement between the mercury sphygmomanometer and the automated devices was poor, with average differences of 9.5 mmHg for systolic and 9.4 mmHg for diastolic and no clear advantage for either site of measurement. As a means of screening for BP >140/90 mmHg the sensitivity of the automated devices was 81% and the specificity was 80%. There were large variations in how often and under what circumstances the devices had been used. One-fifth of the devices had been acquired on medical advice but only 11% of the participants were aware of the three important conditions for operating such devices.

Discussion of automated devices, their role and proper use, should now be part of routine hypertensive care.
Use and Abuse of Cotton Buds
Authors: Hobson Jonathan C , Lavy Jeremy A
Published: November 2017

Ear injuries caused by cotton buds are commonly seen in ear, nose and throat (ENT) practice. We asked 1000 patients attending an ENT referral clinic whether they used cotton buds to clean the ear canal. Of the 325 who responded, 171 said they did. The frequency of use was no higher in those with ear complaints than in those with nose and other complaints. 15–20% of respondents disagreed with the statements that cotton buds can cause infections, wax impaction or perforations. On the evidence of this survey, manufacturers’ warnings need to be fortified.
Impact of the Tsunami on Healthcare Systems
Authors: Carballo M , Daita S , Hernandez M
Published: November 2017

The Tsunami that struck on 26 December 2004 caused one of the worst disasters in modern times. The three papers that follow are based on an ICMH Tsunami Expert Review Committee meeting that took place in Male, Maldives, in April 2005
Research Governance: Ethical Issues
Authors: Slowther Anne , Boynton Petra , Shaw Sara
Published: November 2017

Summary

Healthcare research is haunted by a history of unethical studies in which profound harm was caused to vulnerable individuals. Official systems for gaining ethical approval for research, designed to prevent a repetition of these shameful examples, can prove bureaucratic and inflexible in practice. The core ethical principles of respect for autonomy, prevention of harm, promotion of benefit, and justice (which form the basis of professional codes of research conduct) must be applied flexibly to take account of contextual, methodological, personal and practical considerations. Ensuring that the design and conduct of all research is ethically sound is the responsibility of all involved–-including researchers, research institutions, ethics review committees and regulatory bodies.
Do Surgeons Wish to Become Doctors?
Authors: Ibery N , Patel P M , Robb P J
Published: November 2017

Objectives

To gauge opinion among otolaryngologists about their wish to retain the title Mr, Miss, Ms or Mrs or to adopt the title of doctor.

Design

An e-mail questionnaire sent to all members of ENT-UK (The British Association of Otolaryngologists–-Head and Neck Surgeons), who had registered an e-mail address with the ENT-UK secretariat.

Setting

The specialty group of otolaryngologists in the UK.

Participants

723 recipients of e-mails, who were members or fellows of a surgical Royal College and, by convention in the UK, entitled to adopt the title Mr, Miss, Ms or Mrs.

Results

304 recipients of the e-mail questionnaire responded. 39% were not aware of any proposals to change the convention, addressing surgeons as ‘doctor’ in the future. Overall, 61.8% were in favour of retaining the current convention and retaining the title Mr or a female equivalent. Applying the null hypothesis that most surgeons would not like to change a title, the χ2 test produced a highly significant P value of 0.0002. Of female respondents, however, only 43% supported retention of the current convention. Using Fisher's exact test to compare female and male respondents, the two-sided P value was highly significant at 0.006, with female respondents favouring the title of doctor.

Conclusions

A large proportion of ENT surgeons in the UK responded to the questionnaire. They were unaware of proposals to change the current convention of address for surgeons. A significant number of those responding were in favour of retaining the current convention. The small proportion of female respondents indicated a preference for being addressed as ‘doctor’.
Conflicts of Interest: How Money Clouds Objectivity
Authors: Smith Richard
Published: November 2017

Richard Smith was editor of the BMJ and chief executive of the BMJ Publishing Group for 13 years. In his last year at the journal he retreated to a 15th century palazzo in Venice to write a book. This is a much shortened chapter from the author's book provisionally entitled The Trouble With Medical Journals that the RSM Press will publish in the autumn [ www.rsmpress.co.uk ], and this is the third in a series of extracts that will be published in the JRSM.
Ambulatory Antibiotic Prescribing for Acute Bronchitis and Cough and Hospital Admissions for Respiratory Infections: Time Trends Analysis
Authors: Mainous Arch G , Saxena Sonia , Hueston William J , Everett Charles J , Majeed Azeem
Published: November 2017

Objectives

To examine the relationship between ambulatory antibiotic prescribing for acute bronchitis and cough with hospital admissions for respiratory infections in the USA between 1996 and 2003.

Design

Analysis of data on antibiotic prescribing for episodes of acute bronchitis/cough illness in ambulatory care and hospitalization for respiratory infections for adults between 1996 and 2003 in the USA.

Setting

USA: ambulatory prescribing behaviour was derived from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey while hospitalizations in acute care hospitals were assessed in the National Hospital Discharge Survey.

Participants

Adults 18–64 years old.

Interventions

None.

Main outcome measures

Proportion of visits for acute bronchitis/cough receiving a prescription for antibiotics and hospitalization for respiratory infections.

Results

Ambulatory antibiotic prescribing practices for acute bronchitis/cough and hospitalizations for respiratory infections exhibited non-linear patterns over the 8 year period. However, antibiotic prescribing practices for acute bronchitis/cough and hospitalizations for respiratory infections had a weak/moderate negative association. For three of the seven yearly changes in prescribing and hospitalizations as one increased the other decreased ( P <0.01).

Conclusions

Ambulatory antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections was inversely associated with hospital admissions for respiratory tract infections.
The highly profitable but unethical business of publishing medical research
Authors: Smith Richard
Published: November 2017

Richard Smith was editor of the BMJ and chief executive of the BMJ Publishing Group for 13 years. In his last year at the journal he retreated to a 15th century palazzo in Venice to write a book. The book will be published by RSM Press [ http://www.rsmpress.co.uk ], and this is the 6th in the series published in the JRSM.
Psychological Services in Hospices in the UK and Republic of Ireland
Authors: Price A , Hotopf M , Higginson I J , Monroe B , Henderson M
Published: November 2017

Objective

To evaluate the level of psychological services available to patients and staff in hospices.

Design

Questionnaire analysis.

Setting

Hospices in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Participants

224 hospices.

Main outcome measures

The availability of professional psychological support for those with advanced disease.

Results

Responses were received from 166 hospices (74%). Only 50 hospices (30%) have access to a psychiatrist, whilst 68 (41%) have access to a clinical psychologist and 92 (45%) have neither. Only 21 hospices (12%) have service level agreements with local mental health trusts. Counsellors, complementary therapists and spiritual advisors such as chaplains were more plentiful.

Conclusions

Delivery of the NICE guidelines, especially tier four, may be compromised by limited availability of specialist services. This has implications for the psychological assessment of applicants for voluntary euthanasia under an Assisted Dying Act.
Individualized Levels System and Systematic Stimulus Pairing to Reduce Multiply Controlled Aggression of a Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Randall Kayla R. , Lambert Joseph M. , Matthews Mary P. , Houchins-Juarez Nealetta J.
Published: November 2017

Research has shown that physical aggression is common in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Interventions for multiply controlled aggression may be complex and difficult to implement with fidelity. As a result, the probability of treatment efficacy for this class of behavior may suffer. We designed an individualized levels system to reduce the physical aggression of an 11-year-old female with ASD. We then employed a systematic stimulus pairing procedure to facilitate generalization. Results suggest individualized levels systems can suppress multiply controlled aggression and that systematic stimulus pairing is an effective way to transfer treatment effects from trained therapists to caregivers.
Truth Bias and Partisan Bias in Political Deception Detection
Authors: Clementson David E.
Published: November 2017

This study tests the effects of political partisanship on voters’ perception and detection of deception. Based on social identity theory, in-group members should consider their politician’s message truthful while the opposing out-group would consider the message deceptive. Truth-default theory predicts that a salient in-group would be susceptible to deception from their in-group politician. In an experiment, partisan voters in the United States ( N = 618) watched a news interview in which a politician was labeled Democratic or Republican. The politician either answered all the questions or deceptively evaded a question. Results indicated that the truth bias largely prevailed. Voters were more likely to be accurate in their detection when the politician answered and did not dodge. Truth-default theory appears robust in a political setting, as truth bias holds (as opposed to deception bias). Accuracy in detection also depends on group affiliation. In-groups are accurate when their politician answers, and inaccurate when he dodges. Out-groups are more accurate than in-groups when a politician dodges, but still exhibit truth bias.
People feel worse about their forgiveness when mismatches between forgiveness and amends create adaptation risks
Authors: Luchies Laura B. , Finkel Eli J. , Coy Anthony E. , Reid Chelsea A. , Van Tongeren Daryl R. , Davis Jody L. , Green Jeffrey D.
Published: November 2017

Building on principles of evolutionary psychology and sociometer theory, we propose that people feel worse about the extent to which they have forgiven when their forgiveness level increases their risk of exploitation or their risk of spoiling a valuable relationship. We predicted that people would feel worse about their forgiveness level when they grant a high level of forgiveness to a perpetrator who has made weak (vs. strong) amends, thereby heightening their risk of exploitation (H1). We also predicted that people would feel worse about their forgiveness level when they grant a low (vs. high) level of forgiveness to a perpetrator who has made strong amends, thereby putting the value of their relationship with the perpetrator at risk (H2). We conducted a longitudinal study of transgressions occurring in romantic relationships and two experiments to test these ideas. H1 was supported in two of the three studies; H2 was supported in all three. A mini meta-analysis indicated that both effects were reliable across the program of research. These results suggest that feelings about one’s forgiveness level serve a functional purpose: Feeling bad about one’s forgiveness level signals that the current combination of amends and forgiveness levels may be causing an adaptation risk.
Rural geography II: Scalar and social constructionist perspectives on climate change adaptation and rural resilience
Authors: Argent Neil
Published: November 2017

This report considers rural geography scholarship in relation to the field of climate change adaptation. While applied perspectives on the modelling and mapping of the potential impacts of climate change-related hazard events on rural localities continue to be an important research theme, more theoretically sophisticated and interpretivist approaches are providing more challenging understandings of the multi-scalar nature of climate change adaptation processes, from the micro-scale of the farm operator to the global scale of shifting climate regimes. Social constructivism is being deployed to critique taken-for-granted interpretations of the natural processes underlying regionally-specific climate change impacts, further broadening the ontological and epistemological lens of the sub-discipline. Rural geography continues to be a fertile sub-disciplinary field for theoretical and methodological experimentation.
Exposure to 835 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic field induces autophagy in hippocampus but not in brain stem of mice
Authors: Kim Ju Hwan , Yu Da-Hyeon , Kim Hyo-Jeong , Huh Yang Hoon , Cho Seong-Wan , Lee Jin-Koo , Kim Hyung-Gun , Kim Hak Rim
Published: November 2017

The exploding popularity of mobile phones and their close proximity to the brain when in use has raised public concern regarding possible adverse effects from exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on the central nervous system. Numerous studies have suggested that RF-EMF emitted by mobile phones can influence neuronal functions in the brain. Currently, there is still very limited information on what biological mechanisms influence neuronal cells of the brain. In the present study, we explored whether autophagy is triggered in the hippocampus or brain stem after RF-EMF exposure. C57BL/6 mice were exposed to 835 MHz RF-EMF with specific absorption rates (SAR) of 4.0 W/kg for 12 weeks; afterward, the hippocampus and brain stem of mice were dissected and analyzed. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis demonstrated that several autophagic genes, which play key roles in autophagy regulation, were significantly upregulated only in the hippocampus and not in the brain stem. Expression levels of LC3B-II protein and p62, crucial autophagic regulatory proteins, were significantly changed only in the hippocampus. In parallel, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed an increase in the number of autophagosomes and autolysosomes in the hippocampal neurons of RF-EMF-exposed mice. The present study revealed that autophagy was induced in the hippocampus, not in the brain stem, in 835 MHz RF-EMF with an SAR of 4.0 W/kg for 12 weeks. These results could suggest that among the various adaptation processes to the RF-EMF exposure environment, autophagic degradation is one possible mechanism in specific brain regions.
Unionization and Monetary Compensation at America’s Access Institutions: Assessing the Impact of Frames That Do or Do Not Consider Geography
Authors: Shedd Louis , Katsinas Stephen , Bray Nathaniel
Published: November 2017

This article categorizes institutions under both the 2015 Carnegie Basic Classification system and the mission-driven classification system, and further analyzes both by the presence of a collective bargaining agreement. The goal of this article was to use the presentation of data on revenue, employment numbers, salary outlays, and the presence or lack of collective bargaining agreements to identify any differences between the new “Mission-Driven” classification system in direct comparison with the 2015 Carnegie Basic Classification system in recognizing the results of unionization on monetary compensation for higher education employees.
Advanced Holistic Nursing Practice Narratives: A View of Caring Praxis
Authors: Enzman Hines Mary , Gaughan Jennifer
Published: November 2017

Advanced holistic nurses (AHNs), emerging as leaders in health care transformation, are described as caregivers, but caring and caring-within-practice are often difficult for AHNs to explicate. Nursing research that describes caring in advanced practice is limited. Only one study has been reported that focused on describing practice for advanced practice nurses. This article presents a secondary analysis of narratives from a larger qualitative study of holistic pediatric nursing practice. From that study, narratives provided by six holistic advanced practice nurse participants, working in a variety of settings, were extracted and analyzed to illuminate caring-within-practice. Participants were asked to write a reflective narrative on a patient exemplar of caring and use John’s model for structured reflection to provide a deeper reflection on their narrative of caring. Researchers analyzed the extracted narratives to identify common themes of caring-within-practice. Seven themes emerged depicting AHNs caring-within-practice: normalizing the environment, creating sacred space, being rooted in compassion, the art of being present, establishing trust-caring, coaching the family as caregiver, and inspiration for the future. This article provides excerpts from the narratives that support the themes, discusses the findings, and presents implications of the study.
Influence of the revision of surgical fee schedule on surgeons’ productivity in Japan: A cohort analysis of 7602 surgical procedures in 2013–2016
Authors: Nakata Yoshinori , Watanabe Yuichi , Narimatsu Hiroto , Yoshimura Tatsuya , Otake Hiroshi , Sawa Tomohiro
Published: November 2017

The goal of this study is to evaluate the pure impact of the revision of surgical fee schedule on surgeons’ productivity. We collected data from the surgical procedures performed by the surgeons working in Teikyo University Hospital from 1 April through 30 September in 2013–2016. We employed non-radial and non-oriented Malmquist model. We defined the decision-making unit as a surgeon with the highest academic rank in surgery. Inputs were defined as (1) the number of doctors who assisted surgery and (2) the time of surgical operation. The output was defined as the surgical fee for each surgery. We focused on the revisions in 2014 and 2016. We first calculated each surgeon’s natural logarithms of the changes in productivity, technique and efficiency in 2013–2014, in 2014–2015 and in 2015–2016. Then, we subtracted the changes in 2014–2015 from the changes in 2013–2014 and in 2015–2016. We analyzed 62 surgeons who performed 7602 surgical procedures. The productivity changes were not significantly different from 0. Their efficiency change was significantly greater than 0, while their technical change was smaller than 0 in revision 2014. Their efficiency change was significantly smaller than 0, while their technical change was greater than 0 in revision 2016 (p < 0.05). This finding suggests that we could increase overall productivity through revision if we could increase both efficiency and technique.
Optimum waste heat recovery from diesel engines: Thermo-economic assessment of nanofluid-based systems using a robust evolutionary approach
Authors: Yousefi Moslem , Hooshyar Danial , Kim Joong H , Rosen Marc A , Lim Heuiseok
Published: November 2017

Nearly 30% of the input energy to a diesel engine is wasted through the exhaust gas; thus, considerable attention has been directed toward developing efficient heat recovery systems for these engines. Given the demonstrated ability of nanofluids to boost the heat transfer rate of heat exchangers, these heat transfer fluids merit consideration for use in diesel exhaust heat recovery systems. In this study, the effects of employing nanofluids on the optimum design of these systems are investigated. An existing heat diesel engine exhaust heat recovery system is modeled to work with Al2O3/water and a modified imperialist competitive algorithm is employed for the optimization. Seven variables consisting of five heat exchanger geometric characteristics together with nanoparticle volume fraction and coolant mass flow rate are considered as design variables. The heat exchanger cost and charging rate of the storage tank are optimization objectives, while the greenhouse gas savings of the heat recovery system are assessed for measuring the environmental impact of the energy recovery. The results indicate that the proposed approach can overcome the challenge of finding the near-optimal design of this complex system and using nanofluids enhances the performance of the heat recovery heat exchanger.
HIV Infection and Related Risk Behaviours in a Disadvantaged Youth Institution of São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Zanetta D M T , Strazza L , Azevedo R S , Carvalho H B , Massad E , Menezes R X , Ferreira D P , Burattini M N
Published: November 2017

In order to study the prevalence of HIV and related risky behaviours among disadvantaged youth, we interviewed and bled, between December 1994 and April 1995, 1122 young males and 93 young females who were serving time in FEBEM, a state institution that cares for homeless and offender youth of São Paulo, Brazil. Our questionnaire covered the following areas: sexual practices and use of illicit drugs; knowledge of HIV and STDs and their prevention; and myths and beliefs about AIDS. Seroprevalence of HIV was assessed and related with risk-taking behaviours by means of uni-, bi- and multivariate analysis. We found 2.6% of the males and 10.3% of the females to be positive to HIV. The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies resulted in 5.9% for males and 4.6% for females, respectively. The risk for parenterally transmitted HIV among the males was higher than that for sexually related transmission. The inverse relationship was found among the females.
Acrylamide attenuated immune tissues’ function via induction of apoptosis and oxidative stress: Protection by l-carnitine
Authors: Zamani E , Shokrzadeh M , Ziar A , Abedian-Kenari S , Shaki F
Published: November 2017

Acrylamide (ACR), with high prevalence in starchy food, has been associated with the development of several organ toxicities such as immunotoxicity. This study aimed to demonstrate the role of oxidative stress and apoptosis as the mechanisms involved in ACR-induced immunotoxicity in mice. Mice were randomly assigned to six groups and treated as follows: control (normal saline), cyclophosphamide (200 mg kg–1), ACR groups (12.5, 25 and 50mg kg–1, orally), and l-carnitine (l-CAR; 100 mg kg–1) + ACR (50 mg kg–1). After 30 days of exposure, mice were killed and immunotoxic response was evaluated via immune blood cells count and body/organ weights. Oxidative stress parameters and pathological examination were done in thymus and spleen. Also, the apoptosis was evaluated via flow cytometric by annexin V/FITC kit in the splenocytes. Our results indicated that ACR could induce immunotoxicity characterized by reduction in immune blood cells, body/organ weights, and pathological changes in spleen. The assessment of oxidative stress markers revealed increase in lipid peroxidation, protein carbonyl content, and depletion of glutathione level. Also, increased apoptosis was observed in splenocytes after ACR administration compared to the control group. These alterations were markedly normalized by coadministration of l-CAR (as a potent antioxidant). Taken together, the results of this study showed the potential of ACR to induce immunotoxicity through provoking oxidative stress and inducing apoptosis and the protective effect of l-CAR to attenuate this toxicity. These findings will help in elucidating the toxicity mechanism induced by ACR.
Secondary Malignancies of the Bladder: Avoiding the Diagnostic Pitfall
Authors: Feldman Alexander , Borak Samuel , Rais-Bahrami Soroush , Gordetsky Jennifer
Published: November 2017

Although rare, secondary tumors of the bladder can present a diagnostic dilemma to pathologists considering a differential diagnosis of primary bladder cancer. We investigated the clinicopathologic and imaging characteristics of metastatic tumors to the bladder. We retrospectively reviewed the surgical pathology databases from 2 sites from 2013 to 2016, identifying 66 cases of secondary bladder tumors. Clinical, pathologic, and imaging findings were reviewed. Mean age at diagnosis was 63 years (range = 25-87). Females had a significantly higher proportion (44/66, 66.7%) of secondary bladder tumors compared with males (22/66, 33.3%; P = .007). In total, 56/66 (84.8%) patients had a clinical history of an in situ or invasive malignancy in another organ, and 54/66 (81.8%) patients had imaging supporting a metastatic tumor. Only 2/66 (3.0%) patients had a prior history of urothelial carcinoma. In total, 4/66 (6.1%) cases (all females) were originally misdiagnosed as primary bladder malignancies and were corrected after clinicoradiologic correlation. Overall, colorectal origin was most common (15/66, 22.7%), followed by cervical and ovarian primaries (10/66, 15.2% each). Cervical and ovarian origins predominated in the female cohort (10/44, 22.7% each), followed by endometrial (8/44, 18.2%). Colorectal and prostate primaries were the most common among males (10/22, 45.5%, and 7/22, 31.8%, respectively). Secondary bladder tumors can mimic urothelial carcinomas. In our cohort, gynecological, colorectal, and prostatic origins were most common. Clinical history, imaging, and immunohistochemical studies can be useful in avoiding this diagnostic pitfall.
Fault diagnosis of planetary gear based on entropy feature fusion of DTCWT and OKFDA
Authors: Chen Xihui , Cheng Gang , Li Yong , Peng Liping
Published: November 2017

Planetary gears are often used in the key parts of the transmission systems of mechanical equipment, and faults are the main factors that determine the reliability of equipment operation. A fault diagnosis method for planetary gears based on the entropy feature fusion of dual-tree complex wavelet transform (DTCWT) and optimized kernel Fisher discriminant analysis (OKFDA) is proposed. The original vibration signal is decomposed by DTCWT, the frequency band signals are obtained, and the extraction models for the entropy features are built from multiple perspectives according to the definition of entropy theory. But the original entropy features, which are extracted from multiple perspectives, lead to excessive feature dimensions, and there are also many insensitive features that have small effects on the identification of the faults of planetary gears. Feature dimension reduction and sensitive feature extraction were achieved by OKFDA. The effectiveness of OKFDA and the extracted sensitive features were analyzed for the original features with different dimensions. Fault diagnosis for planetary gears can be achieved by analyzing sensitive features accurately.
Lifetime Consequences of Early-Life and Midlife Access to Health Insurance: A Review
Authors: Gaudette Étienne , Pauley Gwyn C. , Zissimopoulos Julie M.
Published: November 2017

Over the past decade, the number of studies examining the effects of health insurance has grown rapidly, along with the breadth of outcomes considered. In light of growing research in this area and the intense policy focus on coverage expansions in the United States, there is need for an up-to-date and comprehensive literature review and synthesis of lessons learned. We reviewed 112 experimental or quasi-experimental studies on the effects of health insurance prior to people becoming eligible for Medicare on a broad set of outcomes. Over the past decade, evidence related to the effect of increased access to health insurance has strengthened, illuminating that children and vulnerable adults are most likely to see health and economic benefits. We identified promising areas for future study in this active and burgeoning research area, noting benefit design of health insurance and outcomes such as government program participation and self-reported health status as targets.
Stereotype threat, gender-role conformity, and New Zealand adolescent males in choirs
Authors: Watson Penelope , Rubie-Davies Christine Margaret , Hattie John Allan
Published: November 2017

Choirs have been stereotypically gendered feminine in many national contexts. When gender-role conformity has been expected in such settings, male choral participation and performance has often been rendered gender incongruent and consequently threatening. Gender stereotype threat was explored as a factor which might instigate a potentially negative experience for adolescent males in New Zealand school choirs. The findings of the present study (a quasi-experiment conducted in a real-world setting across several cultural contexts) revealed that the performance of adolescent males in choirs was negatively affected by gender stereotype threat. Moreover, such threat was triggered by culturally-specific concerns about perceived peer expectations of gender-role conformity. The study also provided impetus to further explore the idea that stereotype threat could spill over from one domain to another. The findings add to the body of stereotype threat literature, and underline the important relationship between adolescent beliefs about gender-role conformity and music education.
Multi-scale modelling and analysis of strain rate dependent behaviour for long fibre reinforced thermoplastic based on X-ray computed tomography
Authors: Zhang Qiushi , Zhang Junyuan , Zhou Hao , Wu Linan
Published: November 2017

This paper focuses on the multi-scale modelling method for strain rate dependent behaviour of long fibre reinforced thermoplastics based on the Mori–Tanaka scheme. In the present work, the anisotropic and nonlinear viscoelastic–viscoplastic behaviour of an injection moulded plate are experimentally characterised, and the sensitive range of strain rates is discussed. Fibre orientation tensors, content and fibre length are measured and analysed based on micro computed tomography images at different positions of the plate. Further, a multi-scale material model considering microstructure variables, constitutive models of two phases and failure criteria, is proposed. The accuracy of the model is validated by finite element simulations, including five strain rates and three loading directions. The comparison results indicate that the calculated stress–strain curves show a good consistency with the experimental data.
Why a universal Child Grant makes sense in Nepal: A four-step analysis
Authors: Mathers Nicholas
Published: November 2017

Whether cash transfers should be poverty targeted or universal within certain social categories remains a hotly debated topic. Recent plans to expand Nepal’s Child Grant programme brought this question sharply into focus. Using available secondary data, this article presents a four-step analysis that examines the costs and benefits of different approaches. Given the country’s poverty profile, the theoretical results of different targeting models, government capacity and overall costs, a universal (age-cohort targeted) approach achieves the best outcomes for children.
The case for universal social protection in Myanmar: Options, costs and policy benefits
Authors: Koehler Gabriele , Rabi Amjad
Published: November 2017

In 2016, the government of Myanmar began the implementation of the National Social Protection Strategy Plan (NSPSP). This is a significant step since it addresses social assistance for the majority of the population outside the formal sector for the first time in a systematic manner, moving beyond the few fragmented social transfers in place earlier. The adoption of the strategic plan was propelled by a combination of political factors. Technically, it builds on the life cycle approach of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Social Protection Floor Initiative (SPFI). It follows a universal, basic income security approach. This article offers cost calculations based on three different social protection transfer options: a social pension, an education grant and a combined mother and child benefit. The calculations conclude that such transfers can easily be covered from the government’s fiscal budget, and the fiscal and gross domestic product (GDP) shares would actually decrease over time, given population growth dynamics. This reinforces the political and social case for universal social protection in Myanmar.
Financialisation of pensions in semi-peripheral Portugal
Authors: Rodrigues João , Santos Ana C , Teles Nuno
Published: November 2017

This article aims at contributing to the literature on the financialisation of pensions in Europe by examining the transformations occurring in semi-peripheral Portugal. The Portuguese case accounts for the variegated nature of financialisation in general, and of pension provision in particular, throughout Europe. While the country followed similar processes to those of core European Union (EU) countries, leading to an increasingly integrated financial sector in the international arena, this integration was mainly led by the banking sector rather than by capital markets. This helps account for the relatively reduced role of private retirement income products in the country. Nonetheless, the Portuguese pension system has been equally subject to reform, aiming at reducing its weight in public expenditure. The result is a contraction in coverage and benefit without achieving an equivalent match in supplementary private forms of pension provision. Under a prolonged period of stagnation and crisis, the deterioration of State pensions for the majority continues while a residual private, outward-oriented and foreign-owned pension sector grows for the most affluent, further exposing the systemic and variegated nature of financialisation processes in the semi-periphery.
The need for an intrusion upon seclusion privacy tort within English law
Authors: Hartshorne John
Published: November 2017

In the United States, New Zealand and the Canadian province of Ontario, recognition has been afforded to privacy torts remedying intrusions upon seclusion or solitude, and the creation of such a tort has also been recommended by the Australian Law Reform Commission. In England and Wales, recognition has so far only been afforded to a privacy tort remedying misuse of private information. This article considers the current prospects for the recognition of an intrusion upon seclusion tort within English law. It will be suggested that there is less necessity for such recognition following the apparent recent confirmation by the decisions in Gulati v MGN and Vidal-Hall v Google that misuse of private information claims may still be brought where there is no ensuing publication of wrongly acquired private information. Given that intrusions commonly result in the acquisition of private information, it will be suggested that many of the privacy interests protected by the intrusion torts in other jurisdictions may now therefore be protected in English law through a claim for misuse of private information.
Economic evaluation of a nurse-led home and clinic-based secondary prevention programme to prevent progressive cardiac dysfunction in high-risk individuals: The Nurse-led Intervention for Less Chronic Heart Failure (NIL-CHF) randomized controlled study
Authors: Maru Shoko , Byrnes Joshua , Carrington Melinda J , Chan Yih-Kai , Stewart Simon , Scuffham Paul A
Published: November 2017

Objective:

The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of a long-term, nurse-led, multidisciplinary programme of home/clinic visits in preventing progressive cardiac dysfunction in patients at risk of developing de novo chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods:

A trial-based analysis was conducted alongside a pragmatic, single-centre, open-label, randomized controlled trial of 611 patients (mean age: 66 years) with subclinical cardiovascular diseases (without CHF) discharged to home from an Australian tertiary referral hospital. A nurse-led home and clinic-based programme (NIL-CHF intervention, n = 301) was compared with standard care ( n=310) in terms of life-years, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and healthcare costs. The uncertainty around the incremental cost and QALYs was quantified by bootstrap simulations and displayed on a cost-effectiveness plane.

Results:

During a median follow-up of 4.2 years, there were no significant between-group differences in life-years (−0.056, p=0.488) and QALYs (−0.072, p=0.399), which were lower in the NIL-CHF group. The NIL-CHF group had slightly lower all-cause hospitalization costs (AUD$2943 per person; p=0.219), cardiovascular-related hospitalization costs (AUD$1142; p=0.592) and a more pronounced reduction in emergency/unplanned hospitalization costs (AUD$4194 per person; p=0.024). When the cost of intervention was added to all-cause, cardiovascular and emergency-related readmissions, the reductions in the NIL-CHF group were AUD$2742 ( p=0.313), AUD$941 ( p=0.719) and AUD$3993 ( p=0.046), respectively. At a willingness-to-pay threshold of AUD$50,000/QALY, the probability of the NIL-CHF intervention being better-valued was 19%.

Conclusions:

Compared with standard care, the NIL-CHF intervention was not a cost-effective strategy as life-years and QALYs were slightly lower in the NIL-CHF group. However, it was associated with modest reductions in emergency/unplanned readmission costs.
The Greening of Euro 2016: Fan Footage, Representational Tropes, and the Media Lionization of the Irish in France
Authors: O’Boyle Neil , Kearns Colm
Published: November 2017

This article considers the representation of Irish identity in the media-sport discourse surrounding Euro 2016 in France. The behavior of Irish football fans attracted considerable attention in both the domestic and international media, and they were praised for their friendliness, helpfulness, and goodwill while in France. This media lionization eventually culminated in the Irish fans being awarded (jointly with their Northern Irish neighbors) the Medal of the City of Paris in July 2016. In this article, we examine how fan footage, taken on smartphones and uploaded to the video-hosting site YouTube (mostly by Irish fans themselves), featured centrally in news coverage of the tournament and fed a wider discourse about Irish identity, which relied on longstanding representational tropes. In concluding the article, we reflect on the paratextual significance of Euro 2016 for the Irish football team’s corporate sponsor Three, and more broadly, for Ireland as a nation brand.
Connected Co-viewing on Facebook: A Brazilian Telenovela and the Perception of Media Realism
Authors: Pires de Sá Fernanda
Published: November 2017

Co-viewing refers to the practice of sitting together in front of a TV set, watching and making meaning from television content. New media amplifies the possibilities for co-viewing, by allowing people to do it virtually. This study explores the reflexive perception of media realism that emerged when Facebook users engaged in connected co-viewing in two unofficial Facebook groups dedicated to the Brazilian prime-time telenovela Babilônia. The series’ controversial plot led to political discussions and prompted debate where viewers frequently used their perceptions of realism to counter the notion of media effects.
Characterisation of Nav1.7 functional expression in rat dorsal root ganglia neurons by using an electrical field stimulation assay
Authors: Fouillet Antoine , Watson Jake F. , Piekarz Andrew D. , Huang Xiaofang , Li Baolin , Priest Birgit , Nisenbaum Eric , Sher Emanuele , Ursu Daniel
Published: November 2017

Background

The Nav1.7 subtype of voltage-gated sodium channels is specifically expressed in sensory and sympathetic ganglia neurons where it plays an important role in the generation and transmission of information related to pain sensation. Human loss or gain-of-function mutations in the gene encoding Nav1.7 channels (SCN9A) are associated with either absence of pain, as reported for congenital insensitivity to pain, or with exacerbation of pain, as reported for primary erythromelalgia and paroxysmal extreme pain disorder. Based on this important human genetic evidence, numerous drug discovery efforts are ongoing in search for Nav1.7 blockers as a novel therapeutic strategy to treat pain conditions.

Results

We are reporting here a novel approach to study Nav1.7 function in cultured rat sensory neurons. We used live cell imaging combined with electrical field stimulation to evoke and record action potential-driven calcium transients in the neurons. We have shown that the tarantula venom peptide Protoxin-II, a known Nav1.7 subtype selective blocker, inhibited electrical field stimulation-evoked calcium responses in dorsal root ganglia neurons with an IC50 of 72 nM, while it had no activity in embryonic hippocampal neurons. The results obtained in the live cell imaging assay were supported by patch-clamp studies as well as by quantitative PCR and Western blotting experiments that confirmed the presence of Nav1.7 mRNA and protein in dorsal root ganglia but not in embryonic hippocampal neurons.

Conclusions

The findings presented here point to a selective effect of Protoxin-II in sensory neurons and helped to validate a new method for investigating and comparing Nav1.7 pharmacology in sensory versus central nervous system neurons. This will help in the characterisation of the selectivity of novel Nav1.7 modulators using native ion channels and will provide the basis for the development of higher throughput models for enabling pain-relevant phenotypic screening.
Optimal mission duration for systems subject to shocks and internal failures
Authors: Finkelstein Maxim , Levitin Gregory
Published: November 2017

At many instances, it is more cost-effective to terminate operation of a system than to wait for its failure or completion of a mission. Usually, completion of a mission (contract) results in an additional reward, whereas premature termination results in a penalty. However, the system failure during the mission can incur considerable expenses. As the failure probability increases with the mission time, this can make the mission completion too risky and not beneficial. This article analyzes the optimal mission duration for non-repairable systems subject to shocks and internal failures. Under certain assumptions, an optimal time of mission termination is obtained. It is shown that, if for some reason, the termination is not technically possible at this optimal time, the mission should be terminated within a specific time interval and, if this is not possible, it should not be terminated beyond this interval. Illustrative examples are presented.
Politics of memory in Upper Silesian schools: Between Polish homogeneous nationalism and its Silesian discontents
Authors: Jaskulowski Krzysztof , Majewski Piotr
Published: November 2017

The article discusses the connections between nationalism and history teaching in the context of dominant structures of collective memory in Poland. Drawing on qualitative research in Upper Silesian schools, the article analyses in detail how the state-sponsored history is enacted and resisted by the teachers in school practice. The article also demonstrates the advantages of processual conceptualisation of collective memory. It provides further theoretical insight by bringing together three strands of literature: memory studies, nationalism studies and critical media analysis.