bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantifying Access Management on Arterial Roadways
Authors: Brown Lacy S. , Dixon Karen K. , Hawkins H. Gene
Published: August 2018

Research suggests that successfully implemented access management programs can reduce delay, increase capacity, and improve safety performance on single roadway segments and across larger roadway networks. However, quantifying how access management, as a single entity, might affect a transportation system is difficult because countless combinations of strategies can be implemented. Consequently, large-scale access management decisions are often based on subjective assessments and the engineering judgment of practitioners and decision makers. There is a need for a standard, objective, and quantifiable approach to evaluating the impacts and performance of large-scale access management applications. This paper presents a quantitative method for evaluating an access management project on factors including operations; safety; impacts to adjacent land uses; and bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities. The result is an access management rating (AMR), a numerical value that allows for straightforward comparisons between corridors or between design alternatives on the same corridor. The proposed methodology eliminates the subjective component of the decision-making process while maintaining enough flexibility to be tailored to a specific agency’s needs and priorities. By improving the consistency of access management evaluations, the decision-making process will be streamlined, funding will be allocated to projects with the greatest needs and opportunities for improvement, and the entire transportation industry will benefit from improved safety, operations, and land use development.
OD-NETBAND: An Approach for Origin–Destination Based Network Progression Band Optimization
Authors: Arsava Tugba , Xie Yuanchang , Gartner Nathan
Published: August 2018

Traditional progression band optimization methods are focused on providing uninterrupted flow along arterial streets. For arterials with significant traffic streams joining and leaving from side streets, these approaches often generate poor traffic signal control performance. To address this deficiency, an origin–destination (OD) information based progression band optimization model, OD-BAND, was formulated to coordinate signals for arterials with major side-street traffic streams. This paper aims to extend the OD-BAND model further to address the OD based traffic signal coordination problem in multi-arterial grid networks. The extended model is able to create separate progression bands for each major OD stream in the network. In this expanded model, individual arterials are connected with loop constraints to ensure that offsets derived via different paths for a particular intersection are equal. The new OD-NETBAND model is formulated as a mixed integer linear program that maximizes the sum of each major OD stream’s progression bandwidth. It can optimize simultaneously cycle length, offsets, and phase sequences for the entire network. Performance of the new model is evaluated with AIMSUN microscopic simulation and is compared with MAXBAND-86 and Synchro results.
The Phenomenology of Military Sexual Trauma Among Women Veterans
Authors: Brownstone Lisa M. , Holliman Brooke Dorsey , Gerber Holly R. , Monteith Lindsey L.
Published: August 2018

Although researchers have examined health outcomes among survivors of military sexual trauma, knowledge regarding the phenomenology of military sexual trauma among women veterans remains limited. We used a qualitative, phenomenological approach to describe the experience, context, and perceived effects of military sexual trauma among women veterans. Thirty-two cisgender female military sexual trauma survivors participated in interviews, which we analyzed through thematic analysis. The following themes emerged: (1) sexual harassment: “expected,” “constant,” and “normal”; (2) silencing and disempowerment: “If you want a career, then shut up”; (3) changed attitudes toward the military: “I lost faith”; (4) loss of relational trust: “I can protect me if I’m not involved with someone”; (5) survivor internalization of messages conveyed by military sexual trauma: “If I looked different, none of this would have happened”; (6) coping by escape and avoidance: “I put my head in the sand and hoped it would go away”; and (7) a path to healing through validation and justice: “You’ll get through it.” Results suggest the importance of increasing stakeholders’ knowledge regarding military sexual trauma complexities and contexts. Military sexual trauma survivors should be heard, believed, and supported in pursuing justice. We also suggest cultural shifts and continued efforts to prevent military sexual trauma. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/page/pwq/suppl/index
Characterization of discontinuous carbon fiber liquid molded PA-6 composites via strategic placement of additional reinforcements
Authors: Brahma Siddhartha , Patel Vikas , Pillay Selvum , Ning Haibin , Thomas Vinoy
Published: August 2018

The flexibility of processing PA6-based discontinuous carbon fiber panels using vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding was studied. The ease of incorporating various reinforcements namely baseline, tow in the center of preform, fabric in the center of preform and fabric on the outside as skin was investigated. Mechanical characterization was conducted on all the variations made. There was an average increase of about 3%, 20% and 47% in the tensile properties of tow in the center, fabric in the center and fabric on the outside as skin, respectively, as compared to the baseline. A similar increase in properties was noticed in its flexural and impact strength. The data showed a correlation between the mechanical properties and the total surface area of additional reinforcements used. As the surface area of the reinforcement increased, the mechanical properties increased as well. It also showed that reinforcements on the surface of the preform as a skin performed the best. DMA analysis showed the effect of reinforcement on the storage modulus and tan delta across temperatures ranging from 30°C to 150°C. SEM analysis showed that the fibers and the additional reinforcements were coated with PA6 which translated into consistent mechanical performance.
Quel smart retailing en magasin pour quelle expérience omnicanal vécue ?
Authors: Bèzes Christophe
Published: August 2018

Le smart retailing est actuellement présenté par nombre de consultants et certains chercheurs en innovation comme la solution pour générer une expérience omnicanal bénéfique aux clients comme aux distributeurs. Mais le type de technologies introduites en magasin ne favorise-t-il pas des formes différentes d’expérience omnicanal? Les détaillants sont-ils alors en mesure de contrôler l’expérience omnicanal vécue par leurs clients en agissant sur le contexte expérientiel de leurs magasins ? Basée sur 107 références bibliographiques en marketing, innovation et systèmes d’information, cette synthèse met en évidence quatre formes différentes d’expérience omnicanal selon qu’elles sont déclenchées par le client ou contrôlées par le détaillant, et perçues comme intégrées en termes de marketing ou de technologies. Lorsque le détaillant cherche à trop les contrôler, certaines d’entre elles ne constituent plus qu’une expérience omnicanal de façade pouvant se réduire à une quasi-expérience monocanal (magasin ou site).
Help-Seeking Behaviors of Intimate Partner Violence Victims: A Cross-National Analysis in Developing Nations
Authors: Goodson Amanda , Hayes Brittany E.
Published: August 2018

There is a dearth of research on help-seeking behaviors of intimate partner violence (IPV) victims, especially within developing nations. The current study uses the nationally representative population-based Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of 31 nations to address this gap in the literature. Specifically, the study (a) assesses the extent to which IPV victims sought help in developing nations, (b) investigates from whom IPV victims sought help, and (c) evaluates individual and national factors that influence the likelihood of help seeking among IPV victims in developing nations. Given the hierarchical structure of the data, multilevel modeling techniques are used (individual level N = 65,530; national level N = 31). Descriptive findings revealed 34.88% of IPV victims engaged in help-seeking behaviors and the majority of victims who sought help reached out to family members (63.10%). Few IPV victims (3.24%) sought help from formal institutions. Results from the hierarchical generalized linear regression models indicated the severity of abuse, attitudes toward IPV, and indicators of empowerment all affected the likelihood of help seeking. National-level factors, including whether the nation had a law against IPV, were not significant. While providing formal services is important, policies designed to help IPV victims must recognize and address cultural barriers that may inhibit help-seeking behaviors. Because the majority of IPV victims sought help from informal support networks, it is important that individuals in these extended networks receive information about gendered norms and IPV so they can extend help and respond appropriately to family and friends.
Vocational Identity and Career Progress: The Intervening Variables of Career Calling and Willingness to Compromise
Authors: Creed Peter A. , Kaya Melisa , Hood Michelle
Published: August 2018

Few studies have assessed potential underlying mechanisms related to vocational identity development. Informed by goal-setting and self-regulatory theories, this study ( N = 286 young adults; mean age = 20.5 years) tested the relationship between vocational identity and career goal–performance discrepancy (i.e., the appraisal that unsatisfactory progress is being made in one’s career) and assessed the process roles of willingness/unwillingness to compromise (as mediator) and career calling (as moderator) in this relationship. As expected, we found that a stronger vocational identity was associated with less willingness to compromise and fewer perceptions of career-related discrepancy and that willingness to compromise partially mediated the relationship between vocational identity and career goal–performance discrepancy. Additionally, career calling strengthened the negative relationship (i.e., moderated) between vocational identity and willingness to compromise and strengthened the negative relationship (i.e., moderated the mediation effect) between vocational identity and career goal–performance discrepancy.
Bridging or Deepening the Digital Divide: Influence of Household Internet Access on Formal and Informal Volunteering
Authors: Piatak Jaclyn , Dietz Nathan , McKeever Brice
Published: August 2018

The digital divide persists; a quarter of the U.S. population is unconnected, left without Internet access at home. Yet volunteer recruitment is increasingly moving online to reach a broader audience. Despite widespread use, little is known about whether the lack of digital access has repercussions on connections offline in the community. We examine the influence of access on volunteering across four critical aspects—structure, time devoted, level of professionalization, and pathways to volunteering. We find home Internet access has an independent influence on volunteering even after controlling for socioeconomic status. Those with access are more likely to volunteer, formally and informally, and are more likely to become volunteers because they were asked. However, digitally unconnected volunteers devote more time. Nonprofit organizations and government agencies should be strategic and inclusive in their volunteer recruitment efforts to ensure they recruit qualified and dedicated volunteers rather than rely solely on digital recruitment strategies.
Reduction of steady flow torques in a single-stage rotary servo valve
Authors: Wang He , Quan Long , Huang Jiahai , Gong Guofang , Yang Xu
Published: August 2018

In this paper, geometry optimization of spool is proposed to reduce the steady flow torques in a single-stage rotary servo valve. The steady flow torques under different spool structures are studied by computational fluid dynamics simulation and experimental test and the most effective spool structure is found out. Then, the effects of geometry parameters on the steady flow torques are studied and an optimized solution for reduction of the steady flow torques is suggested by considering the optimization qualities and production costs. The results show that modification of the geometry of spool can make the jet angle at the orifices much closer to 90°, with almost no effect on the flow rate. Processing annular groove in the spool land with increased number of grooves on one side of the spool land is an effective way to reduce the steady flow torques. The maximum value of steady flow torques reduces with a gradual decrease in reduction as the external diameter of annular groove and the number of grooves increase. With the optimized spool structure, the maximum value of steady flow torques can be reduced significantly.
Photoelastic analysis of stress distributions in the root–bone interface when applying various orthodontic methods to subside lower anterior crowding
Authors: Chiang Pao-Chang , Lin Shu-Li , Liu Ming-Jung , Fan Kan-Hsin , Chang Wei-Jen , Lee Sheng-Yang , Huang Haw-Ming
Published: August 2018

Dental crowding is a prevalent problem in modern society. Various factors, including different bracket systems and geometry of wire, influence the outcome using superelastic wire in the alignment stage of treatment. Currently, the use of light round wire instead of large-sized rectangular wire is emphasized to avoid powerful torsional stiffness. However, these guidelines lack scientific evidence for support. They have been written predominantly based on clinical experience. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate how factors such as bracket systems and wire geometry affect the stress distribution at the root–bone interface. Models using a photoelastic material (PL-3) to simulate bone tissue were fabricated. The simulated teeth were arranged as in lower anterior crowding. Then, the crowded teeth were subjected to orthodontic treatment with various types of bracket, ligating approaches using ligature wires of different sizes, shapes, and materials. Photoelastic images of the bone area of the models were obtained and compared. The results showed that wire size plays a more significant role than the material or cross-sectional shape of the wire in affecting the stress distribution at the simulated root–bone interface. The teeth ligated with a larger cross-sectional diameter of wire showed the application of excessive torque, which may cause root resorption and slow down tooth movement. These results not only demonstrate the scientific evidence backing clinical experience but also can be a useful reference for further clinical application.
The influence of contact stress on the wear of cross-linked polyethylene
Authors: Kandemir Göksu , Smith Simon , Joyce Thomas J
Published: August 2018

Generation of wear debris and wear particle-induced osteolysis are the main limitations of metal-on-polyethylene artificial joints. Cross-linked polyethylene has been recently used, particularly in hip replacements, as an alternative material to conventional ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene due to its superior wear resistance. This study focused on the wear behaviour of cross-linked polyethylene under different contact stresses in order to make interpretations of its long-term in-vivo performance. A 50-station SuperCTPOD (pin-on-disc) machine was used to investigate the influence of contact stress on the wear of cross-linked polyethylene pins which were articulated against cobalt chromium discs. It was found that the wear rate of cross-linked polyethylene was lower at higher contact stresses.
Toward a Psychology of Singlehood: An Attachment-Theory Perspective on Long-Term Singlehood
Authors: Pepping Christopher A. , MacDonald Geoff , Davis Penelope J.
Published: August 2018

The number of people who remain single for long periods of time is sizeable and growing in the Western world, yet they are largely ignored in psychological theory and research. In this article, we review psychological and sociological evidence that long-term singles are a heterogeneous group of individuals, outline an attachment-theoretical model of long-term singlehood, and review direct and indirect empirical evidence suggestive of at least three distinct subgroups of long-term singles: (a) singlehood due to attachment-system deactivation, (b) singlehood due to attachment-system hyperactivation, and (c) singlehood as a secure personal choice. Our aim is to highlight long-term singles as a population that merits scientific study and to provide a foundation on which future research can build.
Perspectives toward brain death diagnosis and management of the potential organ donor
Authors: Victorino João Paulo , Mendes Karina Dal Sasso , Westin Úrsula Marcondes , Magro Jennifer Tatisa Jubileu , Corsi Carlos Alexandre Curylofo , Ventura Carla Aparecida Arena
Published: August 2018

Background:

Organ donation and transplantation represent one of the most important scientific advances over the last decades. Due to the complexity of these procedures and related ethical–legal aspects, however, there are a lot of doubts and uncertainty about the brain death diagnosis and the maintenance of potential organ donor.

Aim:

To identify and discuss the different meanings and experiences of registered nurses and physicians from an adult intensive care unit in relation to the diagnosis of brain death and the maintenance of potential organ donors for transplantation purposes.

Study Design:

Participants were registered nurses and physicians from an adult intensive care unit at a University Hospital from Brazil. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis.

Ethical considerations:

This study was approved by the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing Research Ethics Committee.

Results:

Two main categories emerged from the analysis: (1) brain death diagnosis and its implications and (2) maintenance of the potential organ donor and its repercussion in the donation–transplantation process. Six subcategories were also identified: (1.1) understanding the brain death diagnosis as a tool to aid decision-making; (1.2) diagnosis as guarantee of rights; (1.3) difficulties encountered to establish the diagnosis; (1.4) clinical criteria adopted in Brazil and related ethical–legal aspects; (2.1) specificities of care to the brain dead person and outcomes; and (2.2) nurse’s duties toward the brain dead person.

Conclusion:

Although the brain death diagnosis is scientifically and legally defined in Brazil and the maintenance of the potential organ donor for transplantation purposes has been addressed during the last years, there are still some doubts about the subject, as its understanding varies according to the personal beliefs, culture, and educational background of individuals, including those who work in this scenario.
A dual-loop tracking control approach to precise nanopositioning
Authors: Altaher Mohammed , Russell Douglas , Aphale Sumeet S.
Published: August 2018

Nanopositioners are mechanical devices that can accurately move with a resolution in the nanometer scale. Due to their mechanical construction and the piezoelectric actuators popularly employed in nanopositioners, these devices have severe performance limitations due to resonance, hysteresis and creep. A number of techniques to control nanopositioners, both in open-loop and closed-loop, have been reported in the literature. Closed-loop techniques clearly outperform open-loop techniques due to several desirable characteristics, such as robustness, high-bandwidth, absence of the need for tuning and high stability, along with others. The most popular closed-loop control technique reported is one where a damping controller is first employed in an inner loop to damp the mechanical resonance of the nanopositioner, thereby increasing achievable bandwidth. Consequently, a tracking controller, typically an Integral controller or a proportional–integral controller, is implemented in the outer loop to enforce tracking of the reference signal, thereby reducing the positioning errors due to hysteresis and creep dynamics of the employed actuator. The most popular trajectory a nanopositioner is forced to track is a raster scan, which is generated by making one axis of the nanopositioner follow a triangular trajectory and the other follow a slow ramp or staircase. It is quite clear that a triangle wave (a finite velocity, zero acceleration signal) cannot be perfectly tracked by a first-order integrator and a double integrator is necessary to deliver error-free tracking. However, due to the phase profile of the damped closed-loop system, implementing a double integrator is difficult. This paper proposes a method by which to implement two integrators focused on the tracking performance. Criteria for gain selection, stability analysis, error analysis, simulations, and experimental results are provided. These demonstrate a reduction in positioning error by 50%, when compared to the traditional damping plus first-order integral tracking approach.
Is antimicrobial prophylaxis necessary for lymphoma patients? A single centre, real-life experience
Authors: Yıldız Abdulkerim , Öztürk Hacer BA , Albayrak Murat , Pala Çiğdem , Şahin Osman , Maral Senem , Okutan Harika
Published: August 2018

Background

Prophylaxis is strongly recommended in patients with hematological malignancy who are usually at higher risk for infection and neutropenic fever. It is still unclear whether or not there is a definite need for antimicrobial prophylaxis in intermediate-risk hematology patients such as those with lymphoma.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was made of patients admitted from January 2009 to December 2017 to the Hematology Department of Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital, a tertiary referral hospital in Ankara, Turkey. The study included patients who were diagnosed with any type of lymphoma and given chemotherapy. Routine antimicrobial prophylaxis was administered to 127 lymphoma patients, and not to 65 lymphoma patients. These two groups were compared in respect of the incidence of total infection episodes (IE), febrile neutropenia episodes, and nonneutropenic clinically documented infection episodes.

Results

For all patients with lymphoma and subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma or Hodgkin lymphoma, no significant difference was determined between the groups in respect of the total incidence of IE, febrile neutropenia and nonneutropenic clinically documented infection both during the first-line chemotherapy and throughout the total follow-up period ( p > 0.05). Patients with prophylaxis had a higher incidence of IE, which was treated with parenteral antibiotics both during the first-line chemotherapy and throughout the total follow-up period ( p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Antimicrobial prophylaxis was seen to have no effect on the total incidence of infection episode and febrile neutropenia. Therefore, the routine use of antimicrobial prophylaxis should not be recommended for patients with lymphoma.
How are civic cultures achieved through youth social-change-oriented vlogging? A multimodal case study
Authors: Caron Caroline , Raby Rebecca , Mitchell Claudia , Théwissen-LeBlanc Sophie , Prioletta Jessica
Published: August 2018

Debate over conceptual definitions is prominent within the body of literature dealing with emerging patterns of civic engagement and political participation among youth information and communication technology–enabled politics. This article contends that advancing new knowledge in this field is also dependent upon fine-grained empirical analysis of digital traces of youth participation. Drawing on a close analysis of two youth-produced vlogs, we show that adolescents’ commitment to social change can be creatively achieved through video making. Informed by a socio-semiotic approach to multimodal analysis and by Peter Dahlgren’s concept of online civic cultures, our qualitative analysis highlights two main patterns we found in young people’s vlogs aimed at raising awareness about social issues. First, we found that to impact their intended audiences, vloggers presented themselves as creative choice makers and as savvy insiders of youth civic cultures on YouTube. Second, we found that vloggers successfully managed the risk of being the target of online hostility using rhetorical devices and tactics that smoothed counterpositions. Overall, our multimodal case study shows that contrary to traditional approaches to successful communication based on textual coherence, a mix of consistency, disruption, and contradiction can be used purposefully in public speech in order to manage difficult, risky topics. As we demonstrate that visual-based communication on social network sites such as vlogs posted on YouTube is not neat and tidy, we illuminate the vloggers’ shifting identities, opinions, and concerns. This evidence-based observation calls for more in-depth small case qualitative analyses for investigating the multiple affordances of civic talk online and its democratic potential. This article contributes to the ongoing conceptual redefinition of youth civic engagement and political participation in the face of fast-evolving sociotechnical change.
Instantaneously punctuated picture-music: Re-evaluating videogame expression through Pilgrim in the Microworld
Authors: Keogh Brendan
Published: August 2018

Published in 1983, David Sudnow’s Pilgrim in the Microworld performs an autoethnographic analysis of videogames that details how he acquires the gestures and postures required by skilled videogame play. While often seen as a curious experiment in early videogame analysis, Sudnow points to a descriptive mode of evaluating videogames that sees the audiovisual and mechanic aspects as irreducibly constituting a holistic embodied experience of the videogame as played. This article highlights the interventions that Sudnow’s under-examined work can provide contemporary critical videogame scholarship to account for how videogames meaningfully fuse embodied gestures with audiovisual spectacle. At a time when scholars are paying increased attention to the embodied aspects of videogame play, this article argues that Sudnow provides a unique opportunity to re-evaluate the expressive potential of videogames as not just ‘digital games’ nor as ‘computer toys’ but as performed, haptically augmented audiovisual media.
Digital continuous healthcare and disruptive medical technologies: m-Health and telemedicine skills training for data-driven healthcare
Authors: Sapci A Hasan , Sapci H Aylin
Published: August 2018

Introduction

Disruptive medical technologies, wearable devices and new diagnostic solutions have been shaping the future of healthcare, and the health informatics skills gap has become a major problem for technology-centric healthcare applications. This study evaluated the relationships between a specific practical skills training method and students' confidence in using wireless monitoring devices along with the attitude towards technology adoption.

Methods

Six practical exercises were developed to provide health informatics technical skills to transfer medical information and display multi-channel biological signals. Two hundred and six undergraduate nursing students received a telemedicine and homecare training course. Their familiarity with various data formats and likelihood to recommend telemedicine and remote monitoring applications were measured.

Results

The skills training session changed students' attitudes towards remote patient monitoring, and the majority of students provided positive feedback about their confidence in using wireless monitoring devices after the training session. Students stated their plans to use the technology when they start practising and to educate their patients to promote the use of telemedicine.

Conclusion

We propose a skills training framework that covers (a) telemedicine, (b) m-Health and connected health, (c) health informatics application development, (d) health informatics device innovation, and (e) data science.
Reliability of mobile phone teledentistry in dental diagnosis and treatment planning in mixed dentition
Authors: AlShaya Mohammad Saeed , Assery Mansour K , Pani Sharat Chandra
Published: August 2018

Introduction

The aim of the study was to test the reliability of mobile phone teledentistry in the diagnosis and treatment planning of dental caries of children in mixed dentition.

Methods

A total of 57 cases, aged 6–12 years, among six examiners were used yielding 342 comparisons. The patients were examined by a dentist who was calibrated in the recording of oral findings in children using the World Health Organization (WHO) oral health assessment form for children (version 2013), which served as the gold standard for diagnosis. Six paediatric dentists calibrated using the same WHO form served as the teledentistry group and made their diagnoses using only the images sent to them without the use of radiographs. The pictures obtained were stored on an online cloud platform (Google Drive). The sharing links for these pictures were forwarded to participating dentists using a social media application (WhatsApp Messenger, Facebook Corp., Mountain View, CA).

Results

This study showed greater sensitivity than specificity, and though both sensitivity and specificity were constantly above 80%, it can be stated that the current model has a higher chance of false positive results than false negative results. The reliability of teledentistry in this study is greater in primary teeth than in permanent teeth.

Discussion

Although the use of teledentistry without radiographs is not as accurate as clinical examination, mobile phone teledentistry offers acceptable reliability for the initial diagnosis of caries in children.
Telehealth interventions for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and clinical high-risk for psychosis individuals: A scoping review
Authors: Santesteban-Echarri Olga , Piskulic Danijela , Nyman Rowen K , Addington Jean
Published: August 2018

Background

Despite its increased use in mental health, both health care provision by telehealth and research are in the early stages. Videoconferencing, a telehealth subfield, has been mainly used for the medication management and delivery of psychological treatments for mood, adjustment and anxiety disorders, and to a lesser extent for psychotic disorders.

Objectives

The focus of this scoping review is on studies using videoconferencing for intervention for individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and those who may be considered to be in the very early stages of psychosis (clinical high risk). The aim of this review is to assess the feasibility, acceptability and clinical benefits of videoconferencing interventions and compare them with face-to-face interventions for this population.

Methods

A scoping review of peer-reviewed original research on the use of videoconferencing for intervention purposes in individuals with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder or at clinical high risk.

Results

Out of 13,750 citations, 60 articles were retrieved for detailed evaluation, resulting in 14 eligible studies ( N = 439 individuals). There was no study reporting on videoconferencing interventions for individuals at clinical high risk. All the studies reported that videoconferencing implementation was feasible, and most of them described high acceptance by individuals with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder. However, selection bias of studies was high, and overall methodological quality was poor.

Conclusion

Videoconferencing interventions seem feasible for participants with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder who showed high acceptance of this intervention modality.
Improving energy efficiency of existing residential buildings using effective thermal retrofit of building envelope
Authors: Far Claire , Far Harry
Published: August 2018

Upgrading the energy efficiency of existing buildings is a well-known issue around the globe. Given the very low renewal rate of the building stock, thermal retrofit of the existing buildings seems to be a good solution to improve the environmental performance of the building sector. Several studies have acknowledged the lack of knowledge, experience and best-practice examples as barriers in thermal retrofit of existing buildings. Therefore, this study has focused on developing recommendations on the most effective and feasible retrofitting techniques for existing buildings and performing financial analysis of initial investment vs. return based on the quantitative results of the energy modelling. Thermal comfort modelling software FirstRate5 has been used to simulate the annual heating and cooling energy consumption of nine benchmark buildings through a range of retrofitting techniques. Dwellings of varying construction materials including weatherboard, cavity brick and brick veneer have been simulated to improve accuracy. Examining seven different thermal retrofitting options in this study, it has become apparent that there is significant heating and cooling energy reduction, with payback period of less than three years, by implementing two options of the examined retrofitting cases to existing residential dwellings.
Guided by Delight: Music Apps and the Politics of User Interface Design in the iOS Platform
Authors: Simon Victoria
Published: August 2018

Seemingly trivial software does important cultural work, both reflecting hegemonic norms and providing opportunities for transforming them. Software applications for music production (music apps) within the iOS app store promise to broaden the potential for musical participation through simple, “fun,” user-friendly interface design. Yet, within the dominant user interface convention, “fun” is synonymous with the experience of instant success and effortless musical mastery. Drawing on semistructured interviews conducted with developers, and an analysis of shared user interface design conventions across three case studies of apps, ThumbJam, iMaschine 2, and Skram, I argue that normative conceptions of human perfectibility are assumed to be what generates an optimal user experience. Exploring theories of “queer fun,” and the importance of “failure” in studies of video gaming, I propose alternative conceptions of “fun,” and consider how, and with what effects, these might be implemented in the world of music apps.
Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Pancreatic Cancer: Should They Be Deleted or Reeducated?
Authors: Qu Chao , Wang Qing , Meng Zhiqiang , Wang Peng
Published: August 2018

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is characterized by an extensive stromal response called desmoplasia. Within the tumor stroma, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are the primary cell type. CAFs have been shown to play a role in pancreatic cancer progression; they secrete growth factors, inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines that stimulate signaling pathways in cancer cells and modulate the cancer biology toward increased aggressiveness. Therefore, targeting CAFs may serve as a powerful weapon against pancreatic cancer and improve therapeutic effects. However, a previous study aiming to deplete CAFs by inhibiting sonic Hedgehog signaling failed to show any benefit in survival time of pancreatic cancer patients. We reported that the natural product curcumin reeducated CAFs in pancreatic cancer treatment. A low concentration of curcumin reversed the activation of fibroblasts without exhibiting growth suppression effects. In addition, curcumin suppressed CAF-induced pancreatic cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo. The results of our study suggest that active CAFs can be inactivated by certain natural products such as curcumin. Reeducation of CAFs back to their normal state, rather than their indiscriminate depletion, may broaden our view in the development of therapeutic options for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Long-Term Outcome of Direct Relief of Subaortic Stenosis in Single Ventricle Patients
Authors: Rijnberg Friso M. , Sojak Vladimir , Blom Nico A. , Hazekamp Mark G.
Published: August 2018

Background:

Single ventricle patients with unrestrictive pulmonary blood flow and (potential) subaortic stenosis are challenging to manage and optimal surgical strategy is unknown. Direct relief of subaortic stenosis by enlargement of the ventricular septal defect and/or subaortic chamber has generally been replaced by a Damus-Kaye-Stansel or Norwood procedure due to concerns of iatrogenic heart block, reobstruction, or ventricular dysfunction. Studies reporting long-term outcome after the direct approach are limited. The aim of our study was to describe and analyze our experience with direct relief of subaortic stenosis in single ventricle patients.

Methods:

Demographic data, characteristics, and pre-operative, operative and outcome details were collected for children undergoing direct relief of subaortic stenosis between 1989 and 2016.

Results:

Twenty-three patients (median age: 7.4 months, range: 10 days to 5.5 years) underwent direct relief of subaortic stenosis. Complete follow-up was available for all patients (median: 15.6 years, range: 34 days to 26.3 years). Seven (30%) patients had recurrence of subaortic stenosis. One (4%) patient developed complete heart block and one patient developed moderate ventricular dysfunction. Five (50%) patients developed a (pseudo)aneurysm at site of the patch and ventriculotomy. There were two perioperative deaths. Eighty-six percent of patients underwent a successful Fontan procedure.

Conclusions:

Direct relief of subaortic stenosis is associated with a substantial risk of reobstruction and patch (pseudo)aneurysm formation. However, risk of heart block is low and long-term outcome is good with the majority of patients reaching Fontan completion. In our opinion, the direct approach appears to be a good and relatively simple procedure in selected cases for the treatment of subaortic stenosis.
Gender gaps in the path to adulthood for young females and males in six African countries from the 1990s to the 2010s
Authors: Mariara Jane , McKay Andy , Newell Andy , Rienzo Cinzia
Published: August 2018

In this paper, we study on a comparative basis the school-to-work transition of young women and young men in six countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and we examine how this has evolved over recent years, based on the data collected by Demographic and Health Surveys. We examine educational attainments and the nature of early jobs young people are able to obtain, as well as considering their relationship to marriage and fertility outcomes, factors which are likely to be particularly relevant for young women. A pooled regression analysis shows that educational levels have increased substantially and gender gaps have narrowed in most countries. Access to better jobs has improved much more slowly with unchanging gender gaps in most countries, so that agriculture is still the dominant sector of employment for most young men and women. We model correlates of key educational outcomes and access to different types of jobs those controlling for individual- and household-level characteristics, including marital status, presence of children and wealth. Attaining a high level of education is unsurprisingly critical for access to the best jobs and is also associated with young women delaying marriage and childbearing.
3D wavefront attribute determination and conflicting dip processing
Authors: Xie Yujiang , Gajewski Dirk
Published: August 2018

The knowledge of 3D wavefront attributes allows many important applications, such as stacking, 5D interpolation, 3D diffraction separation and imaging, and 3D wavefront tomography, just to name a few. For the determination of wavefront attributes, we use the common-reflection-surface (CRS) operator. We adopt a simultaneous search for the determination of wavefront attributes and combine it with conflicting dip processing. For the simultaneous search, we compare three heuristic global optimization algorithms such as particle swarm optimization (PSO), genetic algorithm (GA), and differential evolution (DE). For conflicting dip processing, a dip angle decomposition method for the probed sample is introduced and the simultaneous search is independently performed in specified dip ranges to individually obtain attributes and semblance for each range. Results for the laterally heterogeneous 3D SEG C3WA data indicate that DE has superior performance to determine the 3D wavefront attributes when compared with PSO, GA, and the conventional pragmatic approach because a higher semblance and an improved set of wavefront attributes are achieved. A comparison of the data-driven wavefront attributes obtained from the DE with the model-driven wavefront attributes computed by kinematic and dynamic ray tracing reveals the validity of the data-driven wavefront attributes. Combining the simultaneous search with conflicting dip processing for the 3D CRS stack further improved reflected energy and diffraction details when compared with results without simultaneous search and/or conflicting dip processing.
Uncertainty quantification for inverse problems with weak partial-differential-equation constraints
Authors: Fang Zhilong , Da Silva Curt , Kuske Rachel , Herrmann Felix J.
Published: August 2018

In statistical inverse problems, the objective is a complete statistical description of unknown parameters from noisy observations to quantify uncertainties in unknown parameters. We consider inverse problems with partial-differential-equation (PDE) constraints, which are applicable to many seismic problems. Bayesian inference is one of the most widely used approaches to precisely quantify statistics through a posterior distribution, incorporating uncertainties in observed data, modeling kernel, and prior knowledge of parameters. Typically when formulating the posterior distribution, the PDE constraints are required to be exactly satisfied, resulting in a highly nonlinear forward map and a posterior distribution with many local maxima. These drawbacks make it difficult to find an appropriate approximation for the posterior distribution. Another complicating factor is that traditional Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods are known to converge slowly for realistically sized problems. To overcome these drawbacks, we relax the PDE constraints by introducing an auxiliary variable, which allows for Gaussian errors in the PDE and yields a bilinear posterior distribution with weak PDE constraints that is more amenable to uncertainty quantification because of its special structure. We determine that for a particular range of variance choices for the PDE misfit term, the new posterior distribution has fewer modes and can be well-approximated by a Gaussian distribution, which can then be sampled in a straightforward manner. Because it is prohibitively expensive to explicitly construct the dense covariance matrix of the Gaussian approximation for problems with more than [Formula: see text] unknowns, we have developed a method to implicitly construct it, which enables efficient sampling. We apply this framework to 2D seismic inverse problems with 1800 and 92,455 unknown parameters. The results illustrate that our framework can produce comparable statistical quantities with those produced by conventional MCMC-type methods while requiring far fewer PDE solves, which are the main computational bottlenecks in these problems.
Application of instantaneous-frequency attribute and gamma-ray wireline logs in the delineation of lithology in Serbin field, Southeast Texas: A case study
Authors: Ogiesoba Osareni C. , Ambrose William A. , Loucks Robert G.
Published: August 2018

Although Serbin field in Southeast Texas was discovered in 1987, lithologic and petrophysical properties in the southeastern part of the field have not been fully evaluated. We have generated instantaneous frequency from 3D seismic data and predicted gamma-ray response volume from seismic attributes. By extracting maps of the instantaneous frequency and gamma-ray response along interpreted horizons, and crossplotting the instantaneous frequency against gamma-ray logs and integrating core data, we generated lithology maps to identify shale-prone zones that stratigraphically trapped hydrocarbons in the southeastern part of the field. We determine that Serbin field is separated into two areas: (1) a high-frequency, high-gamma-ray, and high-acoustic-impedance area in the northwest and (2) a low-frequency, low-gamma-ray, and low-acoustic-impedance area located in the southeast. By developing a lithologic map and relating it to the corresponding instantaneous-frequency map and log data, we also find that the southeastern part of the field can be divided into three zones: (1) zone 1, composed of approximately 0.7–2.7 m (approximately 2–8 ft) thick sandstone-rich beds of moderate frequency (25–30 Hz); (2) zone 2, composed of high-frequency (33–60 Hz) shale-rich zones that serve as stratigraphic-trapping-mechanisms; and (3) zone 3, composed of approximately 1.7–4 m (approximately 5–13 ft) thick sandstone-rich beds of low frequency (0–18 Hz) and relatively high porosity. These methods can be applied in other areas of the field with limited well control.
Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy: An Evolving Paradigm
Authors: Catton Charles N. , Lukka Himu , Martin Jarad
Published: August 2018

The Oncology Grand Rounds series is designed to place original reports published in the Journal into clinical context. A case presentation is followed by a description of diagnostic and management challenges, a review of the relevant literature, and a summary of the authors’ suggested management approaches. The goal of this series is to help readers better understand how to apply the results of key studies, including those published in Journal of Clinical Oncology, to patients seen in their own clinical practice.

A urologist referred a 69-year-old man for a radiotherapy opinion regarding a recently diagnosed adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Annual serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing over 7 years demonstrated a rise in PSA from 1.36 ng/mL to 5.8 ng/mL, prompting a transrectal ultrasound that revealed a heterogeneous 37-mL gland containing no visualized hypoechoic nodules. Biopsy disclosed a Gleason score 3+4 (grade group 2) adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The synoptic report stated that six of 14 cores and 17% of the tissue were involved, with the greatest core involvement being 80% at the right apex. Perineural invasion was present without lymphovascular invasion. Disease was present bilaterally at the base, midgland, and apex.His medical history was significant only for treated peptic ulcer disease and he was taking no medication. His International Prostate Symptom Score was six of 35, and he reported being sexually active with good erectile function. There was no family history of prostate cancer. He is retired. Digital rectal examination revealed moderate benign prostatic hypertrophy with no suspicious nodules. A staging computerized tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis and a whole-body bone scan ordered by his referring urologist reported no evidence of metastatic disease. The patient had discussed surgical options with his urologist and now wished to consider radiotherapy approaches.