bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stroke patients’ and non-professional coaches’ experiences with home-based constraint-induced movement therapy: a qualitative study
Authors: Stark Anne , Färber Christine , Tetzlaff Britta , Scherer Martin , Barzel Anne
Published: May 2019

Objective:

To investigate the experiences of chronic stroke patients and non-professional coaches with home-based constraint-induced movement therapy (homeCIMT).

Design:

Qualitative study embedded within a cluster randomized controlled trial investigating the efficacy of homeCIMT to improve the use of the affected arm in daily activities.

Setting:

Patients’ home environment.

Participants:

13 stroke patients and 9 non-professional coaches’ alias family members who had completed the four-week homeCIMT programme in the context of the HOMECIMT trial.

Interventions:

Semi-structured interviews; qualitative data were analysed using the methodology of the hermeneutic phenomenological data analysis.

Results:

We identified six themes in the qualitative analysis describing the experiences of patients and non-professional coaches with homeCIMT: (1) homeCIMT can be integrated into everyday life with varying degrees of success; (2) training together may produce positive experiences as well as strain; (3) self-perceived improvements during and following homeCIMT; (4) using the affected arm in everyday life is challenging; (5) subjective evaluation of and experiences with homeCIMT-specific exercises; and (6) impact of professional therapists’ guidance and motivation during homeCIMT. Statements regarding theme five and six were only provided by patients, whereas the other themes contain both, the experiences of stroke patients and non-professional coaches.

Conclusion:

Patients’ and non-professional coaches’ narratives offer a detailed insight into the manifold experiences with the practical implementation of homeCIMT that may help improve implementing the homeCIMT programme and similar approaches involving increased training duration and intensity and/or involvement of family members.
Primary and Secondary Effects of Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Young Children
Authors: Harvey Hattie , Dunlap Glen , McKay Kristen
Published: May 2019

This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Young Children (PTR-YC) using a single-case experimental design. PTR-YC is a manualized intervention designed to address challenging behaviors for children in preschool and childcare settings using the framework of positive behavior support. Participants included three preschool-aged children who were receiving special education services in public preschool classrooms. As hypothesized, the use of PTR-YC resulted in two primary effects, including a decrease in challenging behaviors and an increase in desirable behaviors across all three cases. Secondary data revealed favorable increases in prosocial (or positive) interactions between teacher and child for all three cases. PTR-YC interventions were also associated with high rates of perceived social validity. Implications for the use of PTR-YC in preschool settings are discussed along with considerations for the importance of coaching to increase fidelity and the effect on teacher–child interactions.
The Causes of Canine Myocarditis and Myocardial Fibrosis Are Elusive by Targeted Molecular Testing: Retrospective Analysis and Literature Review
Authors: Molesan Alex , Goodman Laura , Ford Jordan , Lovering Samantha J. , Kelly Kathleen
Published: May 2019

Myocarditis can cause death or permanent heart damage. As epidemiologic and etiopathologic data for canine myocarditis are lacking, we performed a retrospective study using nucleic acid extracted from archived (2007 to 2015) tissues from myocarditis cases and control dogs without myocardial lesions. Heart tissue from pediatric/juvenile and adult dogs was tested with a comprehensive panel of conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting recognized agents of canine myocarditis based on a literature review and informed by the comparative epidemiology of human myocarditis. The PCR screen, which included canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2), canine distemper virus, canine herpesvirus, Borrelia spp, West Nile virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus, pneumovirus, respiratory coronavirus, influenza virus, Bartonella spp, Rickettsia spp, Mycoplasma spp, and Neospora caninum, did not detect agents in 35 of 66 cases (53%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 41%–65%) and was frequently negative in adults (21/26); by comparison, agents were not detected in 27 of 57 controls (47%; 95% CI, 35%–60%). Canine distemper virus, herpesvirus, adenovirus, coronavirus, parainfluenza virus, Mycoplasma haemocanis, and N. caninum were occasionally detected in both cases and controls; thus, PCR detection was not considered to indicate causation. We previously reported that CPV-2 continues to be associated with myocarditis in young dogs despite widespread vaccination; in adults, CPV-2 was detected in 2 of 26 cases and 4 of 22 controls. As several agents were similarly detected in cases and controls, it is unclear if these are cardiopathogenic, incidental, or latent. West Nile virus was detected at the analytic limit in 1 adult case. We did not detect Borrelia spp, Bartonella spp, Rickettsia spp, or influenza A virus in the myocarditis cases. These data demonstrate the limitations of current targeted diagnostic tests and the need for additional research to identify unknown agents and develop testing strategies for canine myocarditis.
Factors associated with impaired physical functioning and mental health in working-age patients attending a post–intensive care follow-up clinic three months after hospital discharge
Authors: Niittyvuopio Miikka , Liisanantti Janne H , Pikkupeura Jaana , Spalding Michael B , Sälkiö Sinikka , Ala-Kokko Tero I
Published: May 2019

Patients recovering from critical illness are often suffering from remarkable limitations in their everyday life. The purpose of this study was to find factors associated with poor physical functioning and mental health after critical illness. The study was conducted among patients who met the inclusion criteria of our post–intensive care unit follow-up clinic. The patients were invited to the follow-up clinic three months after hospital discharge. The participants filled out a RAND-36 questionnaire, underwent a clinical examination and were stratified to those with good or poor recovery according to physical functioning and emotional wellbeing. Altogether 332 out of 351 follow-up clinic attendees had data available for analysis. In physical functioning 40% of patients achieved a poor outcome. In mental health the percentage was 8%. The patients with poor physical functioning had a longer hospital stay and were more likely to have received vasopressors. Eleven out of 16 (69%) multitrauma patients had poor physical functioning. Patients with poor physical functioning had more memories of pain, achieved worse results in a six-minute walk test and were less likely to be able to move independently. The patients with poor mental health had higher delirium incidence and fewer memories of relatives’ visits and of nurses. The conclusions of this study were that the memories of pain, multitrauma and longer hospital stay were associated with a poor physical functioning outcome. Delirium and a lack of memories of relatives and nurses were associated with a poor mental health outcome.
Performance and Return to Sport After Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of the Olecranon in Professional Baseball Players
Authors: Erickson Brandon J. , Chalmers Peter N. , D’Angelo John , Ma Kevin , Ahmad Christopher S. , Romeo Anthony A.
Published: May 2019

Background:

The results of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of stress reactions and fractures of the olecranon among professional baseball players with regard to return to sport (RTS) are unknown.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

To determine the RTS rate and performance of professional baseball players after ORIF of acute, displaced olecranon fractures and olecranon stress fractures and to compare the RTS rate and performance with that of matched controls. The authors hypothesized that there is a high rate of RTS among professional baseball players after ORIF of acute, displaced olecranon fractures and olecranon stress fractures with no significant difference in rate of RTS or performance between cases and controls.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

All professional baseball players who underwent ORIF of the olecranon between 2010 and 2016 were included. Demographic and performance data (before and after surgery) for each player were recorded. Performance metrics were then compared between cases and a group of matched controls.

Results:

Overall, 52 professional baseball players (mean ± SD age, 22.6 ± 3.6 years) underwent ORIF of an olecranon fracture. The majority of players sustained a primary olecranon stress fracture (73%) that was fixed with 1 screw (60%), with an overall RTS rate of 67.5%. No difference in RTS rate existed between matched controls and the cases. No significant difference existed between the primary pre- and postoperative performance metrics (ie, change in performance) for pitchers who underwent ORIF of an acute, displaced olecranon fracture or ORIF of a primary olecranon stress fracture. No significant difference existed between pitchers who underwent ORIF of a primary olecranon stress fracture and matched controls in any of the primary performance metrics. Three cases and 2 controls underwent ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction later in their careers after olecranon ORIF.

Conclusion:

Professional baseball players who undergo ORIF of an olecranon fracture (acute, displaced, or stress) have an RTS rate of 67.5% (57.6% to the same or higher level), which is no different from natural attrition among matched controls. No decline in performance metrics was seen among players who were able to RTS when compared with their preoperative performance or the performance of matched controls.
Influence of left ventricular assist device pressure-flow characteristic on exercise physiology: Assessment with a verified numerical model
Authors: Graefe Roland , Henseler Andreas , Körfer Reiner , Meyns Bart , Fresiello Libera
Published: May 2019

Current left ventricular assist devices are designed to reestablish patient’s hemodynamics at rest but they lack the suitability to sustain the heart adequately during physical exercise. Aim of this work is to assess the performance during exercise of a left ventricular assist device with flatter pump pressure-flow characteristic and increased pressure sensitivity (left ventricular assist device 1) and to compare it to the performance of a left ventricular assist device with a steeper characteristic (left ventricular assist device 2). The two left ventricular assist devices were tested at constant rotational speed with a verified computational cardiorespiratory simulator reproducing an average left ventricular assist device patient response to exercise (EXE↑) and a left ventricular assist device patient with no chronotropic and inotropic response (EXE→). According to the results, left ventricular assist device 1 pumps a higher flow than left ventricular assist device 2 both at EXE↑ (6.3 vs 5.6 L/min) and at EXE→ (6.7 vs 6.1 L/min), thus it better unloads the left ventricle. Left ventricular assist device 1 increases the power delivered to the circulation from 0.63 W at rest to 0.67 W at EXE↑ and 0.82 W at EXE→, while left ventricular assist device 2 power shows even a minimal decrease. Left ventricular assist device 1 better sustains exercise hemodynamics and can provide benefits in terms of exercise performance, especially for patients with a poor residual left ventricular function, for whom the heart can hardly accommodate an increase of cardiac output.
Three-dimensional printing in congenital heart disease: Considerations on training and clinical implementation from a teaching session
Authors: Biglino Giovanni , Milano Elena G , Capelli Claudio , Wray Jo , Shearn Andrew IU , Caputo Massimo , Bucciarelli-Ducci Chiara , Taylor Andrew M , Schievano Silvia
Published: May 2019

In light of growing interest for three-dimensional printing technology in the cardiovascular community, this study focused on exploring the possibilities of providing training for cardiovascular three-dimensional printing in the context of a relevant international congress and providing considerations on the delivery of such courses. As a second objective, the study sought to capture preferences in relation to three-dimensional printing uses and set-ups from those attending the training session. A survey was administered to n = 30 professionals involved or interested in three-dimensional printing cardiovascular models following a specialised teaching session. Survey results suggest the potential for split training sessions, with a broader introduction for those with no prior experience in three-dimensional printing followed by a more in-depth and hands-on session. All participants agreed on the potential of the technology in all its applications, particularly for aiding decision-making around complex surgical or interventional cases. When exploring setting up an in-house three-dimensional printing service, the majority of participants reported that their centre was already equipped with an in-house facility or expressed a desire that such a facility should be available, with a minority preferring consigning models to an external third party for printing.
Secondary Emotional Labor: Supervisors Withholding Support and Guidance in Interdisciplinary Group Meetings in a Community Hospice Program
Authors: DiCicco-Bloom Barbara , DiCicco-Bloom Benjamin
Published: May 2019

Emotional labor (EL) can be rewarding, but it can also lead to burnout. Research suggests that supervisor support may be essential to positive experiences with EL. Using qualitative data from a community hospice program, the authors compare interdisciplinary group meetings in which supervisors facilitated EL processing and skill building with those in which they imposed secondary EL, a dynamic that restricts these activities. The authors found that when leaders support EL talk, it increases the likelihood that workers will experience EL in positive ways, and thus improve their care of clients and the organizations for which they work.
Pressure distribution for automated fiber placement and design optimization of compaction rollers
Authors: Jiang Junxia , He Yuxiao , Ke Yinglin
Published: May 2019

During automated fiber placement, insufficient compaction pressure leads to low bond strength between layers and may cause defects like bridging. The compaction roller contacts the prepreg and affects the pressure distribution directly. In this article, a model for analyzing the adaptability of rollers to molds is established. Then, compaction pressure distribution on prepreg tows is analyzed by finite element simulation and verified by pressure sensitive film experiment. Based on the simulation results, a calculation method of pressure uniformity is proposed. Moreover, the design parameters of the roller are optimized with an aim of improving pressure uniformity. The results show that the pressure uniformity can be improved significantly by design optimization of the roller, which indicated that higher bond quality between layers is achieved.
Assessing Early Childhood Fluid Reasoning in Low- and Middle-Income Nations: Validity of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Across Seven MAL-ED Sites
Authors: Ruan-Iu Linda , Pendergast Laura L. , Rasheed Muneera , Tofail Fahmida , Svensen Erling , Maphula Angelina , Roshan Reeba , Nahar Baitun , Shrestha Rita , Williams Brittney , Schaefer Barbara A. , Scharf Rebecca , Caulfield Laura E. , Seidman Jessica , Murray-Kolb Laura E.
Published: May 2019

An adapted version of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence—Third Edition (WPPSI-III) was administered to assess cognitive functioning among 1,253 5-year-old children from the Malnutrition and Enteric Disease (MAL-ED) study—an international, multisite study investigating multiple aspects of child development. In this study, the factor structure and invariance of the WPPSI-III were examined across seven international research sites located in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, and Tanzania. Using a multiple indicator multiple cause (MIMIC) modeling approach, the findings supported the validity of a fluid reasoning dimension (comprised of block design, matrix reasoning, and picture completion subscales) across each of the seven sites, although the scores were noninvariant. Accordingly, these scores are recommended for research purposes and understanding relationships between variables but not for mean comparisons or clinical purposes.
Exploring Social Network Structure Patterns Suitable to the Community of Inquiry Model Moderated by the Task
Authors: Tirado-Morueta Ramón , Maraver-López Pablo , Pérez-Rodríguez Amor , Hernando-Gómez Ángel
Published: May 2019

There are few studies devoted to analyze the relationships between the structure of the social network and performance in the online learning process as group. In this study, the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model is used as an analytical framework, along with quantitative content analysis and social network analysis, in order to identify the effect of density, centralization, and centrality—of the coordinators—in the different categories of CoI model in self-regulated groups, according to the type of task. Over a period of 3 academic years, a total of 96 discussion forums and 7,155 units of analysis were analyzed, focusing on two types of tasks. The results showed that the effects of the density, centralization, and centrality of the coordinators on the categories of social and cognitive presence were moderated by the type of task. The findings contribute to identify the adequate structure of the social network for the CoI model categories and the learning tasks.
Factors Influencing Patients’ Experiences of Pain Management in the Emergency Department
Authors: Shoqirat Noordeen , Mahasneh Deema , Khresheh Reham , Singh Charleen , Al-Momani Muwafaq M. , Al-Kalaldeh Mahmoud
Published: May 2019

Background

Despite management of acute pain, concerns regarding pain are still prevalent in the emergency department (ED).

Purpose

This study aimed to explore the factors influencing patients’ pain management in a Jordanian ED.

Method

Fifteen semistructured interviews (N = 15) with purposively selected patients in the ED.

Results

The thematic analysis uncovered two related themes. The first theme described the stage of “being on ED bed” which encapsulates two subthemes: “bad pain means, bad diagnosis” and “smiley faces versus grumpy faces.” The second theme referred to as “being discharged” including two subthemes, namely, “praying for not paying” and “being grateful to God.” The lack of money to pay for pain management was equally as stressful as pain itself. Patients’ narratives suggest that nursing pain management is a critical time, extending beyond medical management to encompass communication and spirituality.

Conclusions

The factors influencing the patients’ experience of pain management extend beyond addressing the source of the pain. Consequently, effective communication coupled with respecting patients’ spirituality and socioeconomic concerns is essential to pain management. To enhance patients’ experience of pain management, the ED system should shift toward a patient-centric model.
Investigation of polyurethane diol/polycaprolactone: Nickel oxide nanocomposites
Authors: Suhasini A , Kumar KP Vinod
Published: May 2019

In this present work, hybrid polymeric nanocomposites are prepared with 4:1 ratio of polyurethane diol and polycaprolactone along with nickel oxide nanoparticle as filler. Fourier transform infrared studies were used to find the possible contact of nanoparticle along with the polymer hybrid. The composites prepared were in the nanoscale as revealed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution SEM and transmission electron microscope. Their thermal behaviour is characterized by differential scanning calorimetric, thermogravimetry analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis studies, which reveals the influence of nanoparticle for various properties of the hybrid. Magnetic studies by vibrating sample magnetometry technique reveal that the composite prepared is ferromagnetic. Dielectric constant and conductivity investigations of polymer nanocomposites were investigated as a function of frequency and temperature. Redox electrochemical properties of nanocomposites studied by cyclic voltammetry reveal the potential of the material that can be used as an inexpensive metal catalyst in microbial fuel cells.
Parenting in the context of globalization and acculturation: Perspectives of mothers and fathers in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Authors: Czymoniewicz-Klippel Melina T
Published: May 2019

Little is known about how parents in globalizing, non-Western societies are adjusting their parenting attitudes, practices, and styles to better fit modernizing environments. This article presents qualitative data on perspectives and practices of parenting in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Findings show that many parents are reluctant or unsure of how to adapt their parenting as part of the acculturation process. Further work is needed to identify interventions for strengthening positive parenting skills in the face of a changing Cambodian society.
Synthesis and thermal properties of silicon-containing benzoxazine
Authors: Zeng Kai , Li Hui , Shi Haixia , Wu Jiayu , Xu Jilei , Li Yuntao , Zhao Chunxia
Published: May 2019

A novel benzoxazine, containing silicon (Si) in the main chain and bonded to two benzene ring, was synthesized from aniline, bis( p-hydroxyphenyl)dimethylsilane, and paraformaldehyde. The structure was characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. The curing behavior of the benzoxazine was evaluated by differential scanning calorimeter and in situ FTIR. The thermal stability of the resulting polybenzoxazine was studied by thermogravimetric analysis under nitrogen and air atmospheres. The results indicated that the Si-containing polybenzoxazine possessed significantly higher initial degradation temperature and char yield than conventional bisphenol A/aniline-based polybenzoxazine.
Validation of an in-house-designed tensile testing machine for the mechanical characterization of 3D-printed specimens
Authors: Cosmi Francesca , Dal Maso Alberto
Published: May 2019

Additive manufacturing is gaining greater and greater popularity in recent years: thanks to a dramatic reduction of costs and increasing print quality, more and more people are attracted to 3D printing, even for the production of end-use load-bearing parts. Today, there are no universally accepted norms that guide the engineer through the uncertain task of predicting the mechanical behavior of 3D-printed parts. Even though there are numerous reports and articles in literature regarding this topic, the designer will have to rely mostly on his own mechanical tests. This paper describes the design of an in-house-built machine for 3D-printed material tensile testing. The accuracy of this test-rig has been verified through comparison of results on different 3D-printed specimens: these were realized through fused deposition modelling (FDM) and were divided into four distinct sets, based on the material and their orientation on the buildplate. Some samples were printed in PLA, others in XTCF-20™: a composite material made of a matrix of Amphora™ polymer reinforced with 20% in weight carbon short fibers. PLA samples were printed flat on the buildplate, on one side and standing: this affects directly the orientation of the plastic fibers. Tensile tests were performed both on ours and on a high-end commercial testing machine, following the ISO 527 norm. Maximum stress, strain at maximum stress and Young’s modulus were calculated for each tested specimen: these measures allowed to compare the results of the two testers. Results proved coherent, thus validating the in-house machine, which was realized for a fraction of the cost of an equivalent commercial model.
Magnetohydrodynamics mixed convective flow driven through a static wedge including TiO2 nanomaterial with micropolar liquid: Similarity dual solutions via finite difference method
Authors: Zaib A , Haq RU
Published: May 2019

This research scrutinizes the influence of titanium oxide (TiO2) nanoparticle on electrically conducting micropolar liquid driven through wedge with mixed convection and thermal radiation. Buoyancy opposing flow and buoyancy assisting flow are taken into consideration. Similarity parameters are employed to transmute the governing partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations and then obtained the dual solutions through finite difference method. Impacts of ensuing parameters on liquid velocity, temperature distribution, and microrotation field are described and argued. Dual solutions are realized in buoyancy opposing flow, whereas in buoyancy assisting flow outcome is unique. Nanoliquid velocity tends to decline in the first solution and enhances in the second solution due to nanoparticle volume fraction, whereas microrotation profiles increases in both solutions. Temperature distribution increases in the first solution and decreases in the second solution due to φ. Due to micropolar parameter, the velocity and microrotation profiles decrease in both solutions, whilst the temperature of fluid behaves in opposite manner. Results also showed that separation of boundary layer can be controlled through micropolar parameter and nanoparticle volume fraction. In addition, support of present outcomes is arranged through benchmarking by previous well-known limiting conditions and pledged that a fabulous agreement with these results.
Path control in limit handling and drifting conditions using State Dependent Riccati Equation technique
Authors: Wachter Erik , Alirezaei Mohsen , Bruzelius Fredrik , Schmeitz Antoine
Published: May 2019

Tyres operated at or close to their friction limits show a highly nonlinear motion to force response. This state is called limit handling. The objective of this research is to minimize lateral path tracking error while the tyres operate in limit handling. The State Dependent Riccati Equation technique is employed to develop a feedback-feedforward steering controller. It gives a systematic approach to take into account model nonlinearities such as combined slip tyre characteristics. Furthermore, the controller is implemented in a test vehicle and tested on a low friction skid pad. The controller shows robust path tracking performance even when the rear wheels are operated beyond their friction limits, and large body sideslip prevails.
Attention Drives Emotion: Voluntary Visual Attention Increases Perceived Emotional Intensity
Authors: Mrkva Kellen , Westfall Jacob , Van Boven Leaf
Published: May 2019

Attention and emotion are fundamental psychological systems. It is well established that emotion intensifies attention. Three experiments reported here ( N = 235) demonstrated the reversed causal direction: Voluntary visual attention intensifies perceived emotion. In Experiment 1, participants repeatedly directed attention toward a target object during sequential search. Participants subsequently perceived their emotional reactions to target objects as more intense than their reactions to control objects. Experiments 2 and 3 used a spatial-cuing procedure to manipulate voluntary visual attention. Spatially cued attention increased perceived emotional intensity. Participants perceived spatially cued objects as more emotionally intense than noncued objects even when participants were asked to mentally rehearse the name of noncued objects. This suggests that the intensifying effect of attention is independent of more extensive mental rehearsal. Across experiments, attended objects were perceived as more visually distinctive, which statistically mediated the effects of attention on emotional intensity.
A critical review on automation of steering mechanism of load haul dump machine
Authors: Rowduru Sreeharsha , Kumar Niranjan , Kumar Ajit
Published: May 2019

This article presents a brief note on the evolution of steering mechanisms and more emphasized on articulated steering system of the load haul dump machine. In this respect, pictorial representation of the evolution of steering mechanisms for on-road and articulated steering mechanisms of the load haul dump machine is made from the available literature. Critical review on basic elements required for the complete automation of the load haul dump vehicle steering system is presented. Different types of controllers for path tracking error minimization of the scale-modeled or simulated model of the load haul dump steering system are tabulated. Few case studies stimulating the complete automation of the load haul dump steering system employed on the field are also discussed. Challenges and some research gaps in making fully automated steering system of the load haul dump machine are identified in this review article. At the end, based on the critical review, some novel methods for making the fully automated steering system of the load haul dump machine is provided, which is the potential future work for the design and development of feasible automatic steering system.
Rock varnish on petroglyphs from the Hima region, southwestern Saudi Arabia: Chemical composition, growth rates, and tentative ages
Authors: Macholdt Dorothea S , Jochum Klaus Peter , Al-Amri Abdullah , Andreae Meinrat O
Published: May 2019

We investigated rock varnish formed on sandstone and petroglyphs in the Hima area, southwestern Saudi Arabia. To characterize the rock varnish, we made in-situ measurements by portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and analyzed samples by femtosecond laser-ablation inductively coupled–plasma mass spectrometry (fs LA-ICP-MS). Detailed chemical analysis of the rock varnish samples and adjacent soil or aeolian dust yielded information about the varnish’s geochemical context and formation mechanism. Untypically low positive Ce anomalies in the rock varnish samples correlated with negative Ce anomalies in the dust, supporting the hypothesis that the dust is the source of the varnish material. To study the varnish development, we made use of the fact that engraving the petroglyphs exposes a fresh bare sandstone surface without varnish, on which varnish regrows subsequently. We determined by pXRF the areal density of manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) that had been deposited as rock varnish since the creation of the rock art. The rates of Mn deposition in the newly formed varnish were then estimated by correlating the areal density of Mn in Ancient Arabian and Old Arabic inscriptions with their known age ranges. The observed deposition rates showed substantial variability resulting from differences in exposure conditions of the rock surface, but were in a range comparable with that of our previous measurements in northwestern Arabia. This variability could be reduced significantly by referencing the measurements to the intact varnish adjacent to the individual petroglyphs. This normalization provided a much clearer relationship between varnish deposition and age, and enabled tentative ages to be assigned to rock art motifs without previously known ages. These tentative ages spanned most of the Holocene period and were consistent with the culturally or ecologically derived ages of the animal and human figures depicted in the rock art and the styles of scripts used in different periods.
Science communication scholars use more and more segmentation analyses: Can we take them to the next level?
Authors: Füchslin Tobias
Published: May 2019

Science communication scholars are publishing more and more segmentation analyses as they further our understanding of different audiences and their characteristics. They follow different aims, are therefore difficult to compare and do not lend themselves to more generalisable and theoretical knowledge production. Our field has the potential to follow a demand for more systematic efforts by taking advantage of our high-quality representative data sets focusing on public perceptions of science. Beforehand, however, science communication scholars using segmentation analyses have to identify common goals and overcome a number of hurdles concerning variable selection, methodological approaches, and transparency. Ultimately, a collaborative and systematic application of segmentation analyses could result in truly relevant insights for our field.
Capturing the Gramscian Project in Critical Pedagogy: Towards a Philosophy of Praxis in Education
Authors: K. P. Manojan
Published: May 2019

As theory and praxis of emancipatory education, critical pedagogy has been profoundly influenced by the ideas of Antonio Gramsci on ‘ideology’, ‘hegemony’, ‘intellectuals’ and ‘human consciousness’. The works of Paulo Freire and his critical pedagogy are found analogous in many ways to Gramsci’s Marxism specifically in terms of the importance given to cultural action of subalterns. The imperative in critical pedagogy is to construct counter-hegemonic positions against the imperatives of the dominant class agenda of limiting subalterns from entering into the making of history. As a praxis it aims at unravelling the potentialities within subalterns through their wisdom, practical knowledge and everyday common sense and thereby transforming educational regimes as spaces of social justice and human liberation. This article attempts to capture the contours of critical pedagogy and explores how Gramsci’s Marxism has influenced the formation of critical pedagogy and its intellectual trajectories.
The component changes of lysophospholipid mediators in colorectal cancer
Authors: Kitamura Chieko , Sonoda Hirofumi , Nozawa Hiroaki , Kano Kuniyuki , Emoto Shigenobu , Murono Koji , Kaneko Manabu , Hiyoshi Masaya , Sasaki Kazuhito , Nishikawa Takeshi , Shuno Yasutaka , Tanaka Toshiaki , Hata Keisuke , Kawai Kazushige , Aoki Junken , Ishihara Soichiro
Published: May 2019

Although lysophospholipids are known to play an important role in the development and progression of several kinds of cancers, their role in human colorectal cancer is as yet unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate lysophospholipid levels in colorectal cancer tissues to identify lysophospholipids, the levels of which change specifically in colorectal cancers. We used liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to measure lysophospholipid levels in cancerous and normal tissues from 11 surgical specimens of sigmoid colon cancers, since recent advances in this field have improved detection sensitivities for lysophospholipids. Our results indicate that, in colon cancer tissues, levels of lysophosphatidylinositol and lysophosphatidylserine were significantly higher ( p = 0.025 and p = 0.01, respectively), whereas levels of lysophosphatidic acid were significantly lower ( p = 0.0019) than in normal tissues. Although levels of lysophosphatidylglycerol were higher in colon cancer tissues than in normal tissues, this difference was not found to be significant ( p = 0.11). Fatty acid analysis further showed that 18:0 lysophosphatidylinositol and 18:0 lysophosphatidylserine were the predominant species of lysophospholipids in colon cancer tissues. These components may be potentially involved in colorectal carcinogenesis.
Adherence to a topical moisturizing preparation for regorafenib-related hand-foot skin reaction
Authors: Sato Junya , Ishikawa Hiroshi , Hamauchi Satoshi , Yamawaki Yuki , Mori Keita , Kiyohara Yoshio , Yoshikawa Shusuke , Yamazaki Kentaro , Yasui Hirofumi , Shino Michihiro
Published: May 2019

Objective

Application of topical moisturizing preparations is important for the prevention and palliation of hand-foot skin reaction induced by multi-kinase inhibitor. Application adherence of topical moisturizing preparations in clinical practice has rarely been reported. This study investigated the factors affecting adherence to the application of topical moisturizing preparations in patients administered regorafenib.

Methods

The subjects were patients administered regorafenib ( n = 118). Consumption of a urea-based moisturizing ointment, hand-foot skin reaction grade (CTC-AE ver 3.0), treatment duration, and dose of regorafenib, factors that might affect the onset of symptoms and adherence, including age, sex, presence of a key person, working status, performance status, past use of capecitabine or epidermal growth factor receptor antibodies, and relative dose intensity were retrospectively investigated. The adherence to the topical moisturizing ointment (<21 g per week) was judged as poor. The data were analyzed by logistic regression analysis.

Results

Working status was associated with poor adherence, showing a positive correlation (odds ratio; 3.024, p = 0.023). In contrast, symptom grade of hand-foot skin reaction and regorafenib relative dose intensity showed negative correlation with poor adherence (odds ratio; 0.971, p = 0.012, and 0.485, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

The results suggest that adherence decreases in patients with working. The relative dose intensity of regorafenib decreased when adherence to topical moisturizing ointments decreased. Severe hand-foot skin reaction could be associated with adherence. Patients consciously might not apply the ointment when hand-foot skin reaction did not become severe. It will be problematic for medical personnel to motivate patients for improving adherence to the use of moisturizing ointments.
Locality properties of 3D data orderings with application to parallel molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Al-Kharusi Ibrahim , Walker David W
Published: May 2019

Application performance on graphical processing units (GPUs), in terms of execution speed and memory usage, depends on the efficient use of hierarchical memory. It is expected that enhancing data locality in molecular dynamic simulations will lower the cost of data movement across the GPU memory hierarchy. The work presented in this article analyses the spatial data locality and data reuse characteristics for row-major, Hilbert and Morton orderings and the impact these have on the performance of molecular dynamics simulations. A simple cache model is presented, and this is found to give results that are consistent with the timing results for the particle force computation obtained on NVidia GeForce GTX960 and Tesla P100 GPUs. Further analysis of the observed memory use, in terms of cache hits and the number of memory transactions, provides a more detailed explanation of execution behaviour for the different orderings. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate memory analysis and data locality issues for molecular dynamics simulations of Lennard-Jones fluids on NVidia’s Maxwell and Tesla architectures.
Quality assessment of vascular access procedures for hemodialysis: A position paper of the Vascular Access Society based on the analysis of existing guidelines
Authors: Fila Branko , Roca-Tey Ramon , Malik Jan , Malovrh Marko , Pirozzi Nicola , Kusztal Mariusz , Gallieni Maurizio , Jemcov Tamara
Published: May 2019

Quality assessment in vascular access procedures for hemodialysis is not clearly defined. The aim of this article is to compare various guidelines regarding recommendation on quality control in angioaccess surgery. The overall population of end-stage renal disease patients and patients in need for hemodialysis treatment is growing every year. Chronic intermittent hemodialysis is still the main therapy. The formation of a functional angioaccess is the cornerstone in the management of those patients. Native (autologous) arteriovenous fistula is the best vascular access available. A relatively high percentage of primary failure and fistula abandonment increases the need for quality control in this field of surgery. There are very few recommendations of quality assessment on creation of a vascular access for hemodialysis in the searched guidelines. Some guidelines recommend the proportion of native arteriovenous fistula in incident and prevalent patients as well as the maximum tolerable percentage of central venous catheters and complications. According to some guidelines, surgeon’s experience and expertise have a considerable influence on outcomes. There are no specific recommendations regarding surgeon’s specialty, grade, level of skills, and experience. In conclusion, there is a weak recommendation in the guidelines on quality control in vascular access surgery. Quality assessment criteria should be defined in this field of surgery. According to these criteria, patients and nephrologists could choose the best vascular access center or surgeon. Centers with best results should be referral centers, and centers with poorer results should implement quality improvement programs.
Keeping it together: Idioms of resilience and distress in Thai Buddhist mindlessness
Authors: Cassaniti Julia
Published: May 2019

Mindfulness is increasingly lauded as a mark of well-being around the world, but less often is its opposite, mindlessness, articulated in discussions of mental health. In Thailand, where people follow the kinds of Theravāda forms of Buddhism that have inspired today's global mindfulness movement, “mindlessness” is understood as a culturally salient mark of distress. In this article I address what mindlessness looks like for people in and around the Northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, where mindlessness can be thought of as ephemeral and passing as a fleeting forgetfulness that necessitates re-reading a page in a book, or as long lasting and powerful as a destabilizing condition to be treated in the in-patient ward of a psychiatric hospital. I emphasize local meanings and contexts of mindlessness, and their entanglement with broader discourses in the mindfulness movement, in order to point to mindlessness as a type of local and potentially international idiom of distress. I do this to argue for both the continued importance of cultural concepts of distress in our psychiatric nosology, and for further study into the slippages that can occur when local idioms like mindfulness go global.
Optimization of hanger arrangement in pedestrian tied arch bridge with sparse hanger system
Authors: Tan Yonggang , Yao Yuanbin
Published: May 2019

The hanger arrangement has a decisive influence on the mechanical behavior of the tied arch bridge with network hanger system. Many investigations on highway or railway tied arch bridges show that the arch bridges with dense network hangers are superior to those with vertical hangers under larger live load. However, numerous dense inclined hangers lower the esthetic effect of the bridge, especially for pedestrian tied arch bridges. Consequently, the sparse inclined hanger system is recommended in the design of pedestrian tied arch bridges. However, the amount of possible schemes of the hanger arrangement grows rapidly with the number of hangers increasing beyond 10, rendering great difficulties in searching for proper schemes. In this article, a dimensionless optimization approach based on genetic algorithm is proposed in searching for hanger arrangement schemes. Numerical analysis indicates that the proposed method is effective in the optimization of pedestrian tied arch bridge with sparse inclined hanger system, and some of the feasible hanger arrangement solutions show more excellent mechanical properties.
Predicting nationwide obesity from food sales using machine learning
Authors: Dunstan Jocelyn , Aguirre Marcela , Bastías Magdalena , Nau Claudia , Glass Thomas A , Tobar Felipe
Published: May 2019

The obesity epidemic progresses everywhere across the globe, and implementing frequent nationwide surveys to measure the percentage of obese population is costly. Conversely, country-level food sales information can be accessed inexpensively through different suppliers on a regular basis. This study applies a methodology to predict obesity prevalence at the country-level based on national sales of a small subset of food and beverage categories. Three machine learning algorithms for nonlinear regression were implemented using purchase and obesity prevalence data from 79 countries: support vector machines, random forests and extreme gradient boosting. The proposed method was validated in terms of both the absolute prediction error and the proportion of countries for which the obesity prevalence was predicted satisfactorily. We found that the most-relevant food category to predict obesity is baked goods and flours, followed by cheese and carbonated drinks.
Pain and the collision of expertise in primary care physical exams
Authors: McArthur Amanda
Published: May 2019

Using conversation analysis and a collection of naturally occurring US primary care consultations, this article explores the search for pain during primary care physical exams. Inhabiting this activity is a ‘collision’ of expertise between physicians’ clinical knowledge about bodies and patients’ knowledge about their bodies. I show how patients responding to questions like does that hurt? tacitly guide physicians to their pain using pain displays, glottal cutoffs and response delays to observably react to the physician’s touch, delineating painful from non- or less-painful areas. Physicians respond to these practices by altering the trajectory of their touch in coordination with the patient’s embodied behavior. In this local context, physicians’ touch not only constrains patients to (dis)affirm pain in a particular location, but it is also a unique affordance for patients to guide physicians while nonetheless preserving the physician’s authority over where to test for pain, thereby maintaining the physical examination activity framework.
Servant of two masters: How social media editors balance between mass media logic and social media logic
Authors: Tsuriel Keren , Dvir Gvirsman Shira , Ziv Limor , Afriat-Aviv Hagar , Ivan Lidor
Published: May 2019

Social media editors were initially appointed by media organizations which aimed to extend their reach and to establish their presence in social media. These editors were hired to create content on behalf of mass media organizations, but with social media in mind. As such, they need constantly to reconcile mass media logic and social media logic. Relying on the frameworks of ‘social media logic’ and ‘network media logic’, this study focuses on the role of social media editors as the arena in which both logics fuse to create a hybrid media system. Twenty in-depth interviews with social media editors, representing a large proportion of the Israeli media, were carried out. Our findings underscore how editors’ every day routines are a result of negotiation between logics, creating hybrid media organizations.
Pathways to news commenting and the removal of the comment system on news websites
Authors: Liu Jiawei , McLeod Douglas M.
Published: May 2019

Many major news websites have recently opted to remove comment sections that appear beneath their online news articles. However, researchers know very little about how news audiences feel about the silencing of this interactive feature. Our study analyzes data from adult Internet users in the United States in an online survey to provide empirical evidence regarding motivations underlying different engagement in news comment systems and attitudes of news readers toward comment system removal. Overall, findings suggest that compared to non-users, people who read or post comments are more likely to oppose removal. Moreover, comments removal attitude is dependent on motives of using news comment sections. Information-seeking motives are negatively related to the support for comments removal among lurkers, whereas affective socialization motives are positive predictors of comment system removal among commenters.